British MP Jo Cox dead after shooting, stabbing; 52-year-old man arrested

LONDON, June 16 (UPI) -- Jo Cox, a member of British Parliament, died after being shot and stabbed on Thursday in her district in West Yorkshire.

Cox's death was confirmed by police in the city of Wakefield. The attack in which a 77-year-old man was also injured occurred in the town of Birstall, in Batley. A 52-year-old man was arrested.

Cox, 41, graduated from Cambridge University in 1995 and later worked as the former head of policy for Oxfam. She was the mother of two and was elected to Parliament in 2015.

"At 12:53 p.m. today, police were called to a report of an incident on Market Street, Birstall, where a woman in her 40s had suffered serious injuries and is in a critical condition. A man in his late 40s to early 50s nearby also suffered slight injuries," West Yorkshire Police said in a statement. "Armed officers attended and a 52-year-old man was arrested in the area. There are no further details at present."

BBC News reported witnesses said a man in a white baseball cap with an "old fashioned looking gun" shot Cox up to three times -- once in the face.

"Somebody tried to grab him, wrestling with him and then he wielded a knife, like a hunting knife, just started lunging at her with a knife half a dozen times," Clarke Rothwell, a cafe owner who witnessed the attack, said. "People were screaming and running from the area."

Another witness said the attacker kicked Cox as she was lying injured on the floor.

"Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured," British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her family."