Luton Council Leader appalled triple murderer was 'allowed to buy a gun'
Nicholas Prosper, 19, was planning to attack a local school when he was arrested with a loaded shotgun
A week after it was revealed that a local teenager had planned an attack on a primary school, the leader of Luton Council tells us the community have been shaken to their core.
Councillor Hazel Simmons, leader of Luton Council, has acknowledged the emotional impact on families. "You can't underestimate the difficulty this news has had for children, parents, and carers across our schools," she said. "Most of the questions we've received have been about security and safety."
She reassured the public that Luton schools already have strong security measures in place but confirmed that additional checks and reviews were being carried out. "Our schools are reinforcing their procedures, and the council will provide technical support in any way we can," she added.
19-year-old Nicholas Prosper, has pleaded guilty to the murders of his mother, Juliana Falcon, 48, and his siblings, Giselle, 13, and Kyle, 16, at Luton Crown Court. Their bodies were found in a flat in Leabank, off Wauluds Bank Drive, Luton, on 13 September last year.
Prosper was also planning an attack at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, where he and his siblings had previously been pupils.
Prosper's plan was foiled when police apprehended him in the street immediately after the murders. A loaded shotgun and more than 30 cartridges were later found hidden in bushes nearby.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, described the case as "truly tragic and shocking." He said, "No words can fully describe the tragedy their loved ones have experienced, and our thoughts continue to be with them at this difficult time."
Cllr Simmons also addressed the wider concerns surrounding the teenager’s ability to obtain a firearm.
"The most worrying thing for me is that somebody of his age, without a licence, was able to buy a gun and 30 rounds of ammunition. That should not be possible," she said. "I will be writing to the Home Secretary to ask what more can be done to prevent young people from accessing weapons so easily."
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the case as "the most appalling crime" and linked it to concerns about youth violence and access to harmful online content. "This raises really serious issues about what young people see online too," she said.
The case has sparked discussions on youth violence and its links to online content. "There is a growing concern about the obsession with violence among young people, and we need to look at what they have access to online," Cllr Simmons said.
She expressed willingness to work with any new government measures aimed at tackling the issue, including potential youth diversion orders.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School headteacher Maureen Murphy reassured parents that there was no ongoing threat to the school. "We were devastated to learn of the tragic death of our former students Kyle and Giselle and their mother Juliana," she said. "At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with their family, friends, and the wider community."
Cllr Simmons praised the police for their swift action in preventing further harm. "I commend the police for the speed at which they caught the perpetrator," she said. "The way the council and other agencies have worked together with our schools to ensure children's safety is the most important outcome of this situation."
Prosper is set to be sentenced later this month.