A US-born man was one of the victims of the terror attack in Reading, where he worked for a pharmaceutical company, it has been reported.
Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, grew up in Philadelphia but moved to England about 15 years ago, his father, Robert Ritchie, told US media.
Ritchie told reporters his son worked for a law firm in London before taking a job about 10 years ago at a Dutch pharmaceutical company with British headquarters in Reading, where the stabbing attack took place.
Ritchie-Bennett was reportedly friends with James Furlong, 36, a teacher identified as a victim of the attack. In a statement, Furlong’s parents, Gary and Janet, described their son as “beautiful, intelligent, honest and fun”.
According to the Daily Mirror, his husband Ian, 32, died in December 2014 from colon cancer. A friend told the paper: “I’m happy for them that they’re back together.”
A third person was also killed in the attack that lasted five minutes in Forbury Gardens in the town centre just before 7pm on Saturday. Two other people were injured and treated in hospital.
Ritchie-Bennett comes from a family of police officers. Robert Ritchie, his father, is a retired chief inspector. His mother is a retired police officer, as is the wife of his brother, Robert.
“I love him. I always have. I always will,” his brother told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He was a great guy. He was four years younger than me. I had a paper route at 12 and he helped me every day. I used to buy him something every two weeks to thank him.
“We used to play together every day. We rode bikes together every day. Our family is heartbroken and beside ourselves,” he said.
His father described Ritchie-Bennett as an “absolutely fabulous guy. I absolutely love my son with all of my heart and all of my soul,” he told the newspaper.
The US ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, confirmed that an American citizen was killed in the Reading atrocity.
He said: “I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the attack on 20 June. To our great sorrow, this includes an American citizen. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We condemn the attack absolutely and have offered our assistance to British law enforcement.”
A US State Department spokesman said: “We are aware of the alleged act of terrorism in Reading, United Kingdom, on June 20, resulting in the death of a US citizen. Our staff in the United Kingdom and here in the United States are working to provide consular assistance to the victim’s family. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of all of those affected. Out of respect for the privacy of the family, we have nothing further to add at this time.”
The news of Ritchie-Bennett’s death came as a minute’s silence was due to be held in Reading for the victims and their families of the attack. Flags on civic buildings in the town will be flown at half-mast for the rest of the week.
The UK home secretary, Priti Patel, was in Reading to meet police. She will update MPs on the incident in the Commons later on Monday.
Students at the Holt school in Wokingham, where Furlong taught, will light candles and lay flowers in his memory later on Monday.
Former pupil Molly Collins, who left the school in 2017, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He was such a loved teacher.
“I can’t find anyone that ever had a bad word to say about him, and to hear that it was him is just so, so sad.”
source https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/22/reading-terror-attack-us-born-man-named-one-victims
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