A 19-year-old man from England who admitted to shooting and killing his family also planned to carry out a mass shooting at his former elementary school, police have announced.
Nicholas Prosper pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in court on Monday, Feb. 24 for shooting dead his mother Juliana Falcon, brother Kyle Prosper and sister Giselle Prosper at their family home in Luton, around 50 miles north of London, Bedfordshire Police stated in a release.
On Sept. 13, 2024, at around 5:30 a.m., police responded to a call by a concerned neighbor “after hearing a disturbance” at the residence. There they found Falcon, 48, Kyle, 16, and Giselle, 13, “shot dead” by the defendant. Nicholas was arrested soon after on Bramingham Road in Luton.
Police said a loaded shotgun and more than 30 cartridges were “found hidden in bushes nearby.” Authorities later discovered during an investigation of the incident that the defendant had “planned to commit a shooting at a local school” before he was taken into custody.
The targeted school was confirmed by headteacher Maureen Murphy to be St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, where Nicholas and his siblings previously attended during their elementary school years.
Bedfordshire Police
Murphy said in a statement published on the school’s website: “We were devastated to learn of the tragic death of our former students Kyle and Giselle and their mother Julianna. All children from the family attended St Joseph’s when they were younger and were a cherished part of our school community.”
“At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with their family, friends and the wider community,” she continued. “We were very shocked to learn that St Joseph’s was an intended target in this incident. However, we would like to reassure our parents and carers that there is no threat to the school.”
Bedfordshire Police
In court on Monday, Nicholas pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, possession of a knife blade in a public place, purchasing or acquiring a shotgun without a certificate and possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life.
He will be sentenced at Luton Court on Wednesday, March 5.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna, from the Bedfordshire Major Crime Unit called the incident “a truly tragic and shocking case.” He added, “We are pleased that Prosper has pleaded guilty and will not put his family through the pain of a trial, and that he will soon face a significant jail sentence.”
Bedfordshire Police
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Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy said: “Juliana, Kyle and Giselle were brutally murdered in their home by someone intent on causing the maximum harm and distress on not only his family, but to the wider community.
“We are extremely grateful to our officers who stopped him and prevented him from going through with his plans to target a school.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Bedfordshire Police for updates.
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