John Hunt: Numerous condolences for BBC sports commentator’s wife and daughters killed in suspected crossbow attack

London
CNN
—

Celebrities from across the UK have expressed their condolences to a BBC sports commentator after his wife and two daughters were killed by a suspected crossbowman, with the deaths drawing renewed attention to rampant violence against women.

Carol Hunt, 61, wife of BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, died on Tuesday as a result of an attack in Bushey, northwest of London, police and British public broadcaster said.

A 26-year-old suspect, Kyle Clifford, wanted in connection with the murders, was found by British police in Enfield, north London, on Wednesday after an extensive manhunt. Clifford, who is in a serious condition in hospital and has not yet spoken to officers, Hertfordshire Police said in a statement.

As part of the investigation, a crossbow was confiscated which the police believe was used in a “targeted incident”.

The murders of the three women shocked Britain, where mass killings are rare but violence against women and girls is officially considered a national threat.

Every three days a woman is killed by a man in the UK and one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime, said the United Nations Special Reporter on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, earlier this year.

Watch this interactive content on CNN.com

Charities and human rights organisations have subsequently renewed their urgent calls to combat femicide in the UK.

“Male violence against women and girls has reached epidemic proportions,” said SafeLives, a UK-based charity that campaigns to end domestic violence, adding: “Domestic violence is a major public health crisis. It should be given the same priority as terrorism.”

Refuge, a UK-based non-profit that supports victims of domestic violence, posted on X: “Our thoughts are with Carol, Hannah and Louise Hunt and their family and friends following the devastating incident in Bushey.”

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the attack as “truly shocking” and added that she was being “kept fully informed” by the authorities.

The country’s new Labour government has launched its election campaign with a manifesto calling for it to tackle “the scourge of violence against women and girls” in the UK, including a review of the sentencing system and a requirement for police to prosecute repeat offenders using the same tools used to combat terrorism and investigate serious organised crime.

Numerous BBC journalists paid their last respects to their colleague and expressed their sadness throughout the organisation and the entire sports industry.

BBC sports presenter Mark Chapman said: “John Hunt is our colleague and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live Sport team but to everyone who has worked with him here over the last 20 years.

“On behalf of everyone associated with 5 Live Sport, our love, thoughts and support are with John and his family,” Chapman said live on air.

Dan Walker, who used to present the BBC’s Football Focus, posted on X: “John Hunt is one of the best and his life was ripped apart yesterday.”

Tim Peach, a producer at BBC Cricket, described Hunt as “one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever worked with.” “He is second to none at his job,” Peach said on X, “but his favorite thing to talk about is ‘my Carol’ and ‘my girls.'”

Michael Owen, a former football player and racehorse owner, also posted on X after England’s victory at the European Football Championship, writing: “While the country celebrates, we should think of John Hunt. I can’t remember being so horrified in years. Those poor girls. Truly appalling.”

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said in a statement that its condolences were with Hunt, his family and friends. “It is impossible to comprehend the horror that this horrific event has caused them,” said Julie Harrington, the BHA’s chief executive.

Ascot Racecourse, one of Britain’s most famous racecourses, echoed the BHA’s words, writing: “Our thoughts are with John Hunt at this tragic time.”

The strictness of crossbow laws in the UK was called into question last year after a British man was jailed for breaking into Windsor Castle and using the weapon to plan an assassination attempt on the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2021.

At the time, the then Conservative government did not change the legislation, despite initiating an eight-week review of the regulations and the possibility of introducing a licensing system.

In the UK, it is legal for anyone over 18 to buy or own a crossbow. However, anyone found carrying a crossbow in public without a valid reason can face a prison sentence.

Crossbow attacks are rare in the UK; according to government figures, there were fewer than ten murders involving crossbows between 2011 and 2021.

Watch this interactive content on CNN.com

The British Home Secretary is currently reviewing the country’s crossbow laws, according to her colleague, Security Minister Dan Jarvis.

“We recognise the seriousness and importance of the situation,” Jarvis said on Thursday on the BBC’s “Today” programme, adding that the new government had committed in its “election manifesto” to halving violence against women and girls in the UK within ten years.

“We will act as quickly as possible and reach a decision on whether we need to change the existing legal framework,” he added.

This story has been updated with additional information.