A British 19-year-old, Nicholas Prosper, has been sentenced to a minimum of 49 years in prison for the murder of his mother and two younger siblings. At a hearing held at Luton Crown Court, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated that while she considered imposing a life sentence without the possibility of parole, she ultimately chose not to do so due to Prosper’s age—he was 18 at the time of the crime—and his guilty plea.
Prosper admitted to the shocking killings of his 48-year-old mother, Juliana Falcon, his 13-year-old sister, Giselle, and his 16-year-old brother, Kyle, with the horrific events occurring in their Luton home on September 13. Reports indicate that he inflicted over 100 stab wounds on his brother before taking their lives. The court noted his desire to commit a widely publicised school shooting, drawing inspiration from tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and the Virginia Tech shooting, aiming to gain notoriety as a school shooter.
During the proceedings, the judge expressed concern over recurring patterns found in school shooters, including an obsession with children, social withdrawal into online environments, and a troubling lack of empathy. The court revealed that Prosper had successfully forged a firearms licence and purchased a shotgun and ammunition just a day prior to the murders.
On the morning of the incident, Prosper fired a test shot into a stuffed toy before proceeding to attack his family. After killing his mother, he left a novel titled How to Kill Your Family on her legs. His sister was shot as she sought refuge under a table, followed by further violent acts against his brother.
The judge characterised the victims as collateral damage in Prosper’s pursuit of infamy. Following the murders, as police responded to the incident, Prosper flagged down officers and revealed the location of the hidden weapon and cartridges.
In the wake of this tragedy, Prosper’s father, Raymond, expressed his profound sorrow at the loss of his loved ones, emphasising that their deaths carried significant weight and underscoring the importance of the police’s swift response in preventing further potential harm to others in the community.