Tributes flood in for BBC sport commentator whose wife and daughters were killed in suspected crossbow attack
Carol Hunt, 61, wife of BBC horse racing commentator, John Hunt, and their daughters, Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, died from injuries sustained in an attack in Bushey, just northwest of London, on Tuesday, according to police and Britain’s public broadcaster.
A 26-year-old suspect wanted in connection with the killings, and named as Kyle Clifford, was found by British police in Enfield, north London, on Wednesday, following a sprawling manhunt. Clifford is receiving treatment for injuries, Hertfordshire police said in a statement, adding that no arrests have yet been made.
A crossbow is believed to have been used in what police described as a “targeted incident,” adding that other weapons may also have been used.
The killings of the three women rocked Britain, where mass murders are infrequent but violence against women and girls has been officially labeled as a national threat.
A woman is killed by a man every three days in the United Kingdom and one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, said earlier this year.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the attack “truly shocking,” adding that she is “being kept fully updated” by authorities.
The country’s new Labour government campaigned on a manifesto to “tackle the scourge of violence against women and girls” in Britain, including a review of the sentencing process, and requiring forces to target repeat offenders with tools used for counter-terror and serious organized crime investigations.
‘His life was ripped apart’
An array of BBC journalists paid tributes to their colleague, in an outpouring of grief across the organization and wider sports industry.
BBC Sport presenter Mark Chapman said: “John Hunt is our colleague, and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live Sport team, but to all of those who have worked here with him over the past 20 years.
“On behalf of everybody connected to 5 Live Sport, our love and thoughts and support are with John and his family,” Chapman said live on air.
Dan Walker, who used to host the BBC show Football Focus, posted on X that: “John Hunt is one of the best and his life was ripped apart yesterday.”
Tim Peach, a producer for BBC Cricket, described Hunt as “one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I’ve ever worked with.” “He’s peerless at his job,” Peach said on X, “but he’s always happiest talking about ‘my Carol’ and ‘my girls.’”
Michael Owen, a former soccer player and racehorse owner, also posted on X following England’s soccer win at the European Championship, writing that “while the country celebrate(s), spare a thought for John Hunt. I can’t remember feeling so utterly horrified in years. Those poor girls. Truly horrific.”
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said in a statement that its thoughts are with Hunt, his family, and friends. “It is impossible to comprehend the horror that has been inflicted upon them by this dreadful event,” Julie Harrington, the BHA chief executive, said.
Ascot Racecourse, one of Britain’s most famous horse-racing grounds, said that it echoed the BHA’s words and posted that “our thoughts are with John Hunt at this tragic time.”
CNN’s Benjamin Brown, Louis Mian and Eve Brennan contributed reporting.
The tragic incident in Bushey has sparked global concern, with many expressing sympathy for the Hunt family in Europe and beyond. According to Reem Alsalem, the United Nations' special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, such incidents are a pressing issue not just in the UK, but around the world.
