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Prosper family murders

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Prosper family murders
Nicholas Prosper carrying the shotgun which would be used in the attack.
LocationWauluds Bank Drive, Leabank, Luton, Bedfordshire, England
Date13 September 2024
c. 5:30 a.m.
Target
  • Prosper family
  • St. Joseph’s Primary School (not attacked)
Attack type
Familicide, mass shooting, stabbing, plotted school shooting
Weapons
Deaths3
PerpetratorNicholas Prosper
Motive
Charges
  • 3 counts of murder
  • purchasing or acquiring a shotgun without a certificate
  • possession of a shotgun with the intent to endanger life
  • possession of a bladed article in a public place

On 13 September 2024, Juliana Prosper, 48, along with two of her children, Giselle and Kyle, aged 13 and 16, were shot to death by Juliana's 18-year-old son Nicholas Prosper in Luton, England.[1][2] All three had been shot dead in the early hours of the morning.[3] An investigation revealed that Prosper had conspired to commit a school shooting at his former institution, St. Joseph's Primary School.[4]

Background

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There has not been a school shooting in the United Kingdom since the Dunblane massacre in 1996, making them exceedingly rare, but there have been a growing number of unsuccessful plots in recent years.[5]

Juliana Prosper (née Falcón) was born in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 4 June 1976, and migrated to England, where she married Ray Prosper, with whom she had 4 children.[6] At the time of the murders, she resided in a flat off Wauluds Bank Drive with three of her children, including Nicholas.

Perpetrator

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Nicholas Prosper, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, was often described as a quiet and "geeky" boy while growing up with a strong interest in computers. Although he initially had a friend group in his teens, he became more and more isolated as he grew up. Investigators revealed the man had taken a strong interest in school shootings, especially the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting; He specifically wanted to murder around 30 people to achieve a higher death toll before committing suicide.[4]

The day before the shooting, he had bought a double-barrelled shotgun and 100 cartridges from a local dealer for £650 using a faked firearms licence.[7] He spent the rest of the day making online searches relating to instructions on how to kill someone with a shotgun, along with search queries relating to necrophilia and the murder of Sarah Everard.[4]

A video uploaded by Prosper to Mega and shared on social media during the early hours of the day of the shooting shows him declaring himself to be a "follower" of Clementine, a fictional character from The Walking Dead videogame series, and showing contempt for his sister Gisele for a specific in-game choice several months prior, saying "her face will be mutilated further than necessary".[3] Prosecutors claimed this was not relevant to the shooting.[4]

Shooting

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Neighbours reported hearing gunshots at 5:30 a.m.[6] Police discovered the three bodies killed by gunshot wounds.[8] Juliana and Giselle were both shot in the head, while Kyle was shot in the chest and also sustained around 100 knife wounds.[4] CCTV footage showed Prosper hiding nearby for around 2 hours while police swarmed the area, arriving at about 5:33 am.[9]

Believing his targeted school would be locked down due to the gunshots, he found a police car and turned himself in [9] and was arrested at 11:50 am, approximately 600 metres from the crime scene,[10] after hiding for around two hours in nearby bushes. He was in possession of the shotgun and knife he had used in the attack.[1] He was charged with three counts of murder, purchasing or acquiring a shotgun without a certificate, possession of a shotgun, and possession of a bladed article in a public place.[11]

At the time, he was wearing distinctive yellow and black clothing, acting as a sort of "uniform" with which he had hoped to achieve notoriety.[4]

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As Nicholas Prosper was led out of his first court appearance on 16 September, his father, Ray Prosper, shouted: "I still love you, son. It’s not your fault, OK?" before bursting into tears.[12]

Prosper's trial date was set for 5 December, later delayed until 3 March 2025.[13]

On 24 February 2025, Nicholas Prosper pleaded guilty to three counts of murder at Luton Crown Court, along with all other charges. During the investigation, it was revealed he was plotting to commit a school shooting at his former primary school after murdering his family, though he was arrested before any additional damage could be done.[2] Through his writings and declarations in prison, Prosper stated that he regretted not being able to kill more people.[9]

As of 18 March, he is currently being sentenced. Given the circumstances as per sentencing guidelines he faces a minimum sentence of life with a 30 year tariff and a maximum sentence of a whole life order.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Luton: Family pay tribute after mum and two kids found dead and man, 18, appears in court charged with murder". Sky News. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Luton shooting: Man admits murdering mum and two siblings". www.bbc.com. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b ""Su rostro será mutilado": el video que había grabado el joven que mató a su madre argentina en Inglaterra" ["Her face will be mutilated": the video that had been filmed by the young man who killed his Argentine mother in England]. infobae (in Spanish). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Teen who shot family plotted to kill 30 children to become most notorious mass killer". The Independent. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  5. ^ Dearden, Lizzie (2 March 2025). "'I hate my school': why are more British teenagers plotting shooting attacks?". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Quién era Juliana Falcón, la argentina asesinada por uno de sus hijos en Inglaterra" [Who was Juliana Falcón, the Argentine woman murdered by one of her children in England]. infobae (in Spanish). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Violence-obsessed teenage killer bought gun online using forged licence". Yahoo News. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Luton mother and two children died from gunshot wounds – inquest". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Teen who shot family plotted to kill 30 children to become most notorious mass killer". The Independent. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Argentine woman in England killed by her son". MercoPress. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  11. ^ "Trial date set for 18-year-old accused of murdering mother and two teenagers". The Irish News. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Luton triple murder suspect Nicholas Prosper in court". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  13. ^ "Nicholas Prosper: Trial date set for Luton triple murder suspect". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
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