On 15 October 2021, Sir David Amess, a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Southend West, was assassinated by a 25-year-old Ali Harbi Ali in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
The incident was the first killing of a sitting British MP since the murder of Jo Cox in June 2016.
Background
David Amess was a British Conservative politician, between 1983 and 1997. He was the member of the House of Commons for Basildon and from 1997 until his death. He was also a member of the House of Commons for Southend West.
Amess was a strong supporter of Brexit.
Assassination
On 15 October 2021, Amess was at a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church on Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. He was scheduled to meet with people from 10:00 to 13:00 BST. He first met with citizens on the steps of the church and entered the building at around 12:05 to speak with people who had arrived earlier. Inside the church, a man holding a knife broke out from the group and stabbed him multiple times.
An air ambulance landed on a playing field to take Amess to hospital; however his condition was critical where he was dead on arrival.
Motive
At around 00:30 on 16 October, police said the stabbing was a terrorist incident. They said it was caused by Islamic extremism.
Suspect
Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old British citizen of Somali ethnicity who lives in London, was arrested by police at the scene. On 21 October 2021, Ali was charged with murder and attempt terrorism.