“Broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.”
The UK can only grieve, sharing the sentiments of Ariana Grande herself today, who tweeted the above words after a fatal terrorist attack devastated the end of her concert in the city of Manchester last night.
Today, as the events unfold we learn that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the devastation caused to this friendly northern city of the UK. The key suspect has just, in the last couple of hours, been identified as 23-year-old Salman Abedi, a British man with Libyan roots, who died at the scene last night.
Not alone, there were 22 fatalities in total, a level of devastation that has left the country in shock. Among the other known victims are eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos, and eighteen-year-old superfan, Georgina Callander. A further twelve children under the age of sixteen are known to have been taken to hospital for treatment following the attack.
The age of the targeted group is what has really cut deep in this event, emphasizing the severity and brutality of of the attack to an extreme and unexpected level of inhumanity. Ariana fans are, mostly, young people – children and teenagers, leaving the UK wondering if that was part of the intention. Not to mention the location, with attacks generally hitting core capitals, this friendly northern city was an unexpected target, raising questions of what and where could be next for these attackers who seem to hone no limits.
As someone who grew up only 120miles north of Manchester, the location of the attack comes as somewhat of a surprise as well. I, for one, would not be being totally honest if I did not admit that I feel a safety in the northern cities, a protection from harm, shielded by their smaller size and lesser-well-known status. No one is ever expectant of a terrorist attack, but this unexpected target location owns the question, where next? It seems that complacency is moot, limits do not exist.
Despite the shock however, the north stood strong, showing outstanding solidarity and a level of humanitarianism that only the locals would expect from one another in this area. A reputedly friendly, warm and welcoming community, Manchester upheld any expectations of that nature in the traumatic hours that followed the event. Taxi drivers cancelled fares, only focussed on getting people home safely, and others offered food and accommodation to those in need, opening up their homes and their hearts in the sight of adversity.
President Donald Trump tweeted:
And solidarity certainly was shown by the population of Manchester, banding together in support of their neighbors during what had to be, one of the most difficult nights of many of their lives.
This solidarity continues today, as viral tweets sweep the internet sporting the faces of those still unaccounted for after last night’s event “Don’t stop retweeting until they’re all found” said one – a blunt statement of hope and perseverance, as the UK stands strong in support of one another.
Featured image via “Floral tributes to victims of Manchester’s attack” by Catholic Church (England and Wales) / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
