First Victim Of London Terror Attack Victim Named As Canadian Who Died In Her Fiancé's Arms

‘He is broken into a million pieces.’

The first victim of Saturday night's terror attack in London has been named as Christine Archibald who died in her fiancé's arms after being struck by the attackers' van.

The 30-year-old was from Castlegar in British Colombia and worked in a homeless shelter in Calgary before moving to Europe to be with her partner, Tyler Ferguson.

Christine's sister told CBC News: "He is broken into a million pieces.

"He held her and watched her die in his arms."

Mark Fergusn/Facebook
Christine Archibald and Tyler Ferguson.

Christine was among seven people killed after three terrorists drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing spree in nearby Borough Market.

All three were shot dead by police within eight minutes of the first emergency call.

A statement from the Archibald family said: "She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected.

"She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death. Please honour her by making your community a better place.

"Volunteer your time and labour or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you."

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Christine Archibald.

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said he is "heartbroken that a Canadian is among those killed".

Twelve people have been arrested after terrorists brought carnage to the streets of Britain for the second time in as many weeks, killing seven and leaving 21 fighting for their lives.

48 people were injured in total including foreign nationals from Spain, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.

One of the attackers shouted "this is for Allah" as he knifed a man near a pub - while the Islamic State militant group claimed its fighters carried out the attack.

The three men, wearing fake suicide bomb vests, were shot dead by eight officers outside a pub after police opened fire with an "unprecedented" hail of 50 bullets, while a bystander was also shot.

Scotland Yard said seven women and five men aged between 19 and 60 were arrested under the Terrorism Act. A 55-year-old man was later released without charge.

Hannah Mckay / Reuters
Police at the scene on Saturday night.

A vigil will be held on Monday evening near London Bridge in honour of the victims of the attack, which took place at around 10pm, while a minute's silence will take place at 11am on Tuesday, reports the Press Association.

Network Rail said London Bridge rail and London Underground stations were due to reopen from 5am but the rail station will be exit only.

People from around the world were caught up as hundreds cowered in pubs and restaurants, barricading themselves inside as the attackers stalked the streets.

Neil Hall / Reuters
People being led away from the scene of the attack.

Tales of heroism emerged in the aftermath, with one British Transport Police officer taking on the trio armed only with his baton before being stabbed in the head, face and leg.

An off-duty Metropolitan Police officer was also injured after he tackled the men.

Forty-eight people were left in hospital, 21 critically injured.

As counter-terrorism police units and security services launched a huge investigation for the third time in a matter of weeks, officers arrested a dozen people in raids on flats in Barking, east London, where residents said they believed one of the terrorists may have lived.

Peter Nicholls / Reuters
A woman attaches a sign near London Bridge.

One neighbour said one of the attackers had recently asked him how he could hire a van.

A friend of one of the attackers also told the BBC Asian Network he had reported him to the anti-terror hotline after he began expressing increasingly radical views and justifying terror attacks, but the man said he was never arrested.

Two suspects were also detained in East Ham.

Witnesses to Saturday's attack said the terrorists deliberately drove into pedestrians on London Bridge shortly after 10pm - in the same way as Westminster Bridge attacker Khalid Masood.

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Ariana Grande and Chris Martin on stage art the One Love Manchester concert last night.

Attacking people after abandoning the van, they headed to Borough Market where the pubs and restaurants were packed with Saturday night crowds, many watching the Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid in Cardiff.

One woman, Elizabeth O'Neill, said her son Daniel was approached by one of the men who said, 'this is for my family, this is for Islam', before sticking a knife in him.

The 23-year-old was left with a seven-inch wound from his stomach to his back and was saved by a friend who applied a tourniquet and took him downstairs in a pub.

Peter Nicholls / Reuters
Flowers and messages lie behind police cordon tape near Borough Market.

With her son being treated in King's College Hospital, Mrs O'Neill condemned the terrorists as "callous and barbaric", saying: "These people say they are doing it in the name of God, which is an absolute joke."

Giving an update on the investigation outside New Scotland Yard, the Met's assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said "significant progress" had been made in identifying the attackers.

He said that as well as more armed police across the capital in coming days, "the public will also see increased physical measures in order to keep public safe on London's bridges".

The Government's emergency Cobra committee gathered on Sunday afternoon, for the second time that day, to discuss the attack.

Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a stark assessment of the threat facing the UK, saying that although there was no direct link between the three incidents, "terrorism breeds terrorism".

Kevin Coombs / Reuters
Theresa May speaks outside 10 Downing Street after the attack.

She warned Britain is in the grip of a spate of copycat terror plots and stated her determination to stamp out "safe spaces" that exist in the real world, saying: "There is - to be frank - far too much tolerance of extremism in our country."

May set out a four-pronged strategy to tackle terror by countering radical ideology; clamping down on online extremism; preventing the growth of segregated communities; and giving extra powers to police, security agencies and courts.

But Labour complained she was getting involved in political debate on a day when the parties had agreed to halt election campaigning until the evening - before leader Jeremy Corbyn denounced her record on dealing with the terror threat, accusing her of denying resources to the police and security services.

After May delivered her bleak appraisal of the risk facing the UK, US president Donald Trump, in a series of early morning tweets, lashed out at London mayor Sadiq Khan for his response to the attack, saying it is time to "stop being politically correct" about terrorism.

However, the president's criticism of Khan for suggesting Londoners should not be "alarmed" was based on a clear misinterpretation of some of the mayor's comments.

In a withering riposte, a spokesman for the mayor said: "He has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet."

And Lew Lukens, the acting US ambassador to the UK, said: "I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack."

Meanwhile, Ariana Grande returned to Manchester less than a fortnight after bomber Salma Abedi detonated a bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, killing 22.

Take That, Niall Horan and Miley Cyrus kicked off the One Love Manchester benefit concert at Old Trafford to remember the those killed and the survivors of the suicide bomb attack at before Grande herself took to the stage to the delight of her thousands of fans in the audience.

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