Prosper family murders

On 13 September 2024, Nicholas Prosper, then 18, killed his mother Juliana Prosper (born Falcón), 48, and his younger siblings Giselle, 13, and Kyle, 16, at the flat they shared off Wauluds Bank Drive in Luton, England. All three were killed with a double-barrelled shotgun in the early hours of the morning. Police investigators established that Prosper had also planned a mass shooting at St. Joseph's Catholic School, his former primary school in Luton, intending to carry it out the same day.

According to facts established at sentencing, Prosper had planned the attack for over a year, drawing inspiration from and seeking to "outdo" the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and hoping to kill 34 people including himself to exceed the death toll of the Virginia Tech shooting. On 12 September 2024, the day before the killings, he purchased a double-barrelled shotgun and 100 cartridges using a forged firearms licence; the dealer reported the purchase to police, but Prosper was not intercepted. That night he researched how to kill with a shotgun.

In the early hours of 13 September, Prosper fired a test shot in his bedroom before his mother Juliana woke earlier than expected and confronted him. A struggle occurred, during which Juliana sustained defensive wounds, before Prosper shot her fatally in the head; her body was found in the hallway. Giselle was shot as she attempted to hide under a dining table. Kyle fled to the kitchen, armed himself with a knife, was shot from a distance, then stabbed or slashed repeatedly, and was ultimately killed with a shotgun blast to the head as he tried to escape. In total, Prosper fired seven cartridges and reloaded at least twice. Neighbours reported hearing fighting and gunfire; the first emergency call was made around 5:29 a.m., and police entered the flat at 6:08 a.m., finding the three bodies.

After leaving the scene, Prosper walked toward St. Joseph's Primary School carrying the shotgun and additional ammunition, but abandoned the plan after encountering high police activity and realising the school was not yet open. He hid in a wooded area for over two hours, disposed of two mobile phones, and abandoned the shotgun and ammunition in a bush before flagging down a passing police car and surrendering. He was arrested after officers noticed blood on his face.

Prosper was charged with three counts of murder, unlawfully acquiring a shotgun, possession of a shotgun, and possession of a bladed article in public. On 24 February 2025, he pleaded guilty to all charges at Luton Crown Court. On 19 March 2025, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 49 years. A subsequent referral to the Court of Appeal seeking a whole-life order was rejected on 16 July 2025. In August 2025, a memorial bench was installed at Leagrave Park in memory of the three victims.