British politician dies after being shot outside town hall meeting

Jo Cox.
(Image credit: Yui Mok/Press Association/Handout via REUTERS)

Jo Cox, a member of the British Parliament, died Thursday after she was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire. The incident took place after Cox, 41, led her morning town hall meeting for constituents at the Birstall Library, located southwest of the city of Leeds. A 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the incident. A motive has yet to be reported.

Cox was elected to parliament in 2015 and served as Labour Party MP for Batley and Spen. "Jo Cox died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve. It is a profoundly important cause for us all," Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement Thursday, noting Cox's "lifelong record of public service and a deep commitment to humanity." She was the mother of two young children.

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