Parents of Nottingham knife attack victim pay tribute during vigil held at his cricket club

The heartbroken parents of a promising cricketer who died in Nottingham today paid tribute to their 19-year-old son at a vigil at his cricket club.

Barnaby Webber, fellow student Grace O’Malley-Kumar and school janitor Ian Coates were stabbed to death early Tuesday morning.

Today, Barnaby’s ‘tribe’ at Bishops Hull Cricket Club honored his ‘dear soul’ with a vigil, his parents have said.

His mother Emma Webber praised the club for the ‘outpouring of love and support’ BBC it has helped in the “healing” of the family.

Mrs. Webber’s tribute came as a great celebration At games today, a minute of silence was held in memory of Barnaby and Grace, both of whom were enthusiastic young athletes.

The cricket club also announced that it had organized a memorial match for their ‘irreplaceable teammate and friend’.

Ms Webber said the support their family has received has been ‘overwhelming’, adding: ‘This is his real home, his people.’

“Today we wanted to come and see what this wonderful club has done for him. It’s healing,” she told the BBC, adding that the support “gives us strength.”

Ms Webber recalled how several of Barnaby’s friends came up to her and said her 19-year-old son was ‘sweet’, ‘so nice’ and helpful.

She shared how the vigil saw both “reflection and celebration” from those who loved Barnaby, who was “cruelly taken away in the prime of his life.”

Her husband David added that the support they have received from all over Britain has been ‘amazing’.

Ms Webber also revealed that Barnaby’s body is ‘coming home’ on Monday, a move she says will be the ‘next big step’ for their family.

The Webber family have been in ‘a lot’ of contact with Grace’s family and hope to get in touch with Ian’s family soon. Ms Webber says the victims’ families are ‘inseparable now’.

Barnaby’s cricket club will hold a memorial match in the teen’s honor this Saturday, June 24.

The match will take place at 1:30 PM and will be led by his ‘best friends’ Ed Smith and Jakarta Allen-Skinner.

In a post shared on Twitter, Bishops Hull Cricket Club said it “would love for as many people as possible to come along and join us in celebrating a great life through something [Barnaby] beloved, cricket’.

The club also shared a photo of Barnaby in cricket white.

Barnaby, also known as Barney, was just 19 years old when he was stabbed to death in Nottingham on Tuesday.

The young man, along with his friend Grace O’Malley-Kumar, lost their lives on their way home after a night out in the early hours of the morning.

A third victim, Ian Coates, 65, was subsequently found stabbed to death nearby after his van was reportedly stolen.

Barnaby had been a student at the University of Nottingham and has been described as an avid cricketer.

In a statement shared on Tuesday, Bishops Hull Cricket Club said he had joined the team in 2021 and had been a ‘key part’ of the club ever since, playing over 30 matches and taking 29 wickets.

On Friday, the club shared an image of tributes to Barnaby on their playing field.

Visiting Ilkeston Road, where Barnaby died, his family said in a statement: “We chose to come to this horrible place because we owe it to Barnaby and Grace to let them know we’re here.

“As has been said by so many, heartbreak cannot describe our loss.

As painful as this tribute has been today, it is another step forward on the very long dark journey we have had to make.

“We would like to thank everyone at Nottingham University and the police for their professionalism, diligence, respect and care shown during this time.”

Suspect Valdo Calocane was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder and appeared before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

He only spoke to confirm his name and reportedly gave the alias Adam Mendes.

The chairwoman of the magistrates’ court, Allison Folkett, has taken Calocane into custody to appear before Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.