A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a horrific crossbow attack that left a mother and two daughters dead in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, were found dead at their home on Tuesday evening. The victims were the wife and daughters of BBC commentator John Hunt.
Kyle Clifford, 26, from Enfield, was arrested on Thursday evening on suspicion of three counts of murder. Clifford had been discovered wounded in a cemetery in Enfield on Wednesday and remains in the hospital in serious condition.
Detective Superintendent Rob Hall, leading the investigation from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, confirmed that a crossbow had been recovered and that inquiries were ongoing.
The community has rallied to support the family, with tributes pouring in for the victims. Loreto College St Albans, where Hannah and Louise were former students, said they were mourning their loss along with Carol Hunt.
Over 50 people attended a vigil at St James’s Church in Bushey on Thursday to honor the victims. Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, from Bushey United Synagogue, expressed solidarity with the grieving family, offering prayers for those affected by the tragedy.
Sally Golding, who knew Hannah personally as her beautician, described her as “a really, really lovely bubbly person with a great personality.” She added, “She was a sweet girl, a very happy little soul.”
Lea Holloway, a close friend of Carol, spoke tearfully about the loss, saying, “I’ll miss Carol like crazy. I can’t believe this has happened. It’s the thing nightmares are made of.”
In the world of horse racing, where John Hunt was a prominent figure, tributes also flowed in. Jockeys at Kempton Park Racecourse wore black armbands, and a minute’s silence was held at Newmarket Racecourse in Suffolk to honor the family.
The British Horseracing Authority issued a statement expressing their condolences to John Hunt and his family, saying that it was “impossible to comprehend the horror that has been inflicted upon them.”
Sky commentator Mike Cattermole added, “It’s hard to comprehend and process the shock and disgust of what happened to John Hunt and his family.” He also recalled how much John Hunt cherished his daughters, describing them as “the world” to him.
The investigation continues as police work to piece together the events surrounding this devastating attack.