Sole suspect Thomas Mair has been charged with murdering British lawmaker Jo Cox and will appear in court later on Saturday, police said.
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United Kingdom voters are set to go to the polls on June 23 to decide whether or not to remain in the European Union – and both sides halted campaigning after Cox was killed.
Both sides in the referendum campaign shut down campaigning within hours of her death, with major rallies and speeches cancelled or postponed.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for political rhetoric to be toned down following the killing.
Services to commemorate murdered MP Jo Cox at St Peter’s Church in Birstall have begun on Sunday, 19 June.
“I regret to say I didn’t know what she was like as a girl but she grew into a fervent advocate for the poor and oppressed”.
The emotional response to Cox’s death, and the halt in campaigning, has shifted the public focus away from the debate over immigration and economics that had characterized media coverage of the referendum.
The Rev. Paul Knight, who led the service, told CNN that those attending “rejoiced in what Jo was able to accomplish in her short time in Parliament”.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who joined Cameron in Birstall, 202 miles (325 kilometers) north of London, blamed Cox’s death on “the well of hatred”.
Before Cox’s murder, opinion polls suggested Britons would likely vote to leave the European Union, in a prospect that weighed on financial markets and sent the pound tumbling.
“We have now charged a man with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon”, West Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters. He was handcuffed to a guard throughout the proceedings.
He was not required to enter a plea during the brief session Saturday.
He was remanded in custody until his next appearance at London’s Old Bailey central criminal court on Monday and a psychiatric report has been requested. Investigators are now looking into his ties with such groups, reported CNN.
“President Obama offered his honest condolences on behalf of the American people to Mr Cox and his two young children, as well as to her friends, colleagues and constituents”, the White House statement said.
He said police, working with the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, was pursuing inquiries into media reports of “the suspect being linked to right wing extremism” and “the suspect’s link to mental health services”. The man is recovering in a hospital.
The attack has raised security concerns for other members of Parliament who routinely meet with constituents in public meetings.
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The houseboat has now been covered with dozens of floral bouquets left by mourners.
