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 said.
Nicholas Prosper pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in court on Monday, Feb. 24, after shooting dead his mother Juliana Falcon, brother Kyle Prosper, and sister Giselle Prosper at their family home in Luton, about 50 miles north of London, according to Bedfordshire Police.
On September 13, 2024, at approximately 5:30 a.m., police responded to a call from a concerned neighbor “after hearing a disturbance” at the residence. There, they discovered Falcon, 48, Kyle, 16, and Giselle, 13, “shot dead” by the defendant. Nicholas was arrested shortly afterward on Bramingham Road in Luton.
Police reported that 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 being apprehended.
Headteacher Maureen Murphy confirmed that Nicholas and his siblings attended St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in their elementary years.
Murphy said in a statement on the school’s website: “We were devastated to learn of the tragic deaths of our former students Kyle and Giselle, as well as their mother Julianna. All of the family’s younger children attended St Joseph’s and were valued members of our school community.”
“At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with their family, friends and the wider community,” said the spokesperson. “We were shocked to learn that St. Joseph’s was the intended target in this incident. However, we want to reassure our parents and carers that there is no danger to the school.”
Nicholas pleaded guilty in court on Monday to three counts of murder, possessing a knife blade in a public place, purchasing or acquiring a shotgun without a certificate, and possessing a shotgun with intent to endanger life.
He will be sentenced at Luton Court on Wednesday, March 5.
The Bedfordshire Major Crime Unit’s Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna described the incident as “a truly tragic and shocking case.” He concluded: “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.”
Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy stated, “Juliana, Kyle, and Giselle were brutally murdered in their home by someone intent on causing the greatest amount of harm and distress to not only his family, but to the entire 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 contacted Bedfordshire Police for an update.
