Juliana Falcon’s intervention was crucial in preventing her son carrying out a school massacre – she was murdered because of it
The final act of Juliana Falcon’s life, in the minutes before she was shot dead by her son, potentially saved dozens of others.
Realising the unthinkable about her child, her intervention was crucial in preventing him from carrying out what could have been one of the worst mass killings ever to happen in the UK.
Triple killer who murdered family jailed for at least 49 years
It was late at night when the 48-year-old interrupted her teenage son, Nicholas Prosper, in his bedroom with a gun.
He was preparing to carry out a massacre at his old primary school the following day.
Police believe Juliana spotted the shotgun and confronted her son about what he was up to, and there was a struggle as he began attacking his mother.
Her intervention changed everything.
Giselle and Kyle Prosper (below) were both killed by their older brother. Pics: Bedfordshire Police
Prosper, 18, shot his mother dead with the firearm he had bought illegally less than 24 hours earlier.
Over the next few hours in the family’s eighth-floor flat in Luton, he also shot dead his 13-year-old sister, Giselle, and shot and repeatedly stabbed his 16-year-old brother, Kyle.
The noise of the killings alerted neighbours and meant police would be on their way, so Prosper’s plan had to be brought forward.
“My f****** mum messed it up,” he wrote down while in custody. “My mother is a f****** stupid cow.”
A plan for ‘notoriety’
Prosper has admitted killing his family
Prosper left the flat at 5.30am on 13 September last year, hours before the school would open.
He had meticulously researched school massacres, was fascinated by violence and led a dysfunctional life online. He craved notoriety.
He took with him more than 30 shotgun cartridges which, he had calculated, would enable him to kill more children than any other school attack.
When he was arrested, he was on his way to his old primary school to target the youngest children there, aged just four and five.
Prosper deceived a seller to obtain the shotgun. Pics: Bedfordshire Police
In a note he later wrote in prison, he confessed he “wanted to cause the biggest [school] massacre in the 21st century and be more famous than Sandy Hook”.
A total of 26 children were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, USA in 2012. The killer there had shot dead his own mother at home before going to the school.
Prosper’s mother’s actions in Luton, disturbing his plan early, denied him that appalling place in history.
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Killer ‘seemed really calm’ – neighbour
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna, of Bedfordshire Police, told Sky News that Prosper’s ambition “was most definitely notoriety… to be known as being responsible for the biggest school shooting on record.”
He had researched in detail every shooting school shooting across the world “within the last 15, 20 years,” he said.
“He’d done his sums, and he wanted to be responsible for the most amount [of deaths]. Killing his family was the first part of it. But then going to a school and killing numerous children, teachers, then finally himself.”
Concerns raised
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, Prosper’s former school, was the intended target
Prosper was raised in Luton and had attended St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, where he planned to carry out an attack three-quarters of a mile from his home.
Growing up, teachers thought he was a quiet, introverted boy, with a small group of friends who were interested in computers.
When he went to sixth form aged 16, staff noticed he had become more withdrawn.
The school raised concerns that he could be on the autism spectrum, but he refused to see a GP or accept any help.
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Prosper pretends plank of wood is a gun
DCI Khanna said “very little” was known of Prosper, and “there was certainly no Prevent referral”.
Prevent is the UK’s counter-terrorism programme designed to identify and stop young people being radicalised.
Both of Prosper’s parents “had expressed concerns to the school”, the detective said.
The school had shared those concerns, he said, “but because of his unwillingness to engage with mental health professionals, it didn’t go any further”.
A consultant forensic psychiatrist concluded the teenager shows “all the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)” but that it was undiagnosed at the time of the killings. He said Prosper has “an extreme lack of empathy with others and an extreme lack of remorse”.
Read more:
What is Prevent?
How did Prosper get a gun?
Prosper was filmed buying the firearm. Pic: Bedfordshire Police
So how was an 18-year-old able to source a shotgun? The answer is by deception.
Prosper convinced a legitimate seller, who had only previously sold to registered firearms dealers, to deliver the weapon to him.
The teenager produced a convincing but fake shotgun certificate and paid the seller £650 in cash and an extra £30 petrol money to bring the gun and 100 shotgun cartridges to Luton the day before the killings.
Bedfordshire Police investigated and concluded the seller would not face criminal charges. He had been duped by Prosper.
DCI Khanna said Prosper “went to great lengths, looking at templates, looking at prototypes, getting police force logos, signatures, and having copies of genuine certificates, so he could produce what he thought would be good enough to enable him to obtain that shotgun – even down to the printing of the paper with watermarks”.
Prosper spent a lot of time online alone in his bedroom posting troubling comments supporting sexual relationships between adults and children and expressing other extreme views.
He had also become obsessed with the Walking Dead video game, and particularly a character called Clementine who is a vulnerable young girl.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna, of Bedfordshire Police
Detectives can’t say if there is a direct link between his “avid use” of the game and the school shooting plan, but it is one aspect of a complex and unhealthy life he led online.
DCI Khanna said Prosper “certainly believed that he had some form of relationship with Clementine, albeit she’s a video game character”.
Police also found indecent images of children on Prosper’s devices.
The investigator said his online research of school massacres was persistent and extremely detailed.
“There’s a lot of talk about the dark web, but this was on the surface web and sites where… you can read manifestos of people that have done horrific acts. They shouldn’t be available to be seen.”
After his arrest, Prosper told a nurse at Bedford prison about his school massacre intentions. He had also written two detailed plans of what he intended to do at the primary school he used to attend.
“We didn’t find any evidence that he had harboured any grudges towards that particular school… it was purely around his knowledge of it,” DCI Khanna said.
After killing his family, he left home “with the right amount of cartridges to complete his plan, right down to the final detail”, he added.
“Once in prison, he has openly talked about the fact that that was his plan – to go to the school and kill children and teachers before finally killing himself.”
Prosper had chosen black and yellow clothes for the attack and as he made his way towards the school in Luton he was spotted by police officers on patrol.
They thought he was acting strangely and knew three members of the same family had been shot dead nearby.
“It’s not murder,” he repeatedly told the officers as they handcuffed him by the roadside.
Months later, he pleaded guilty shortly before he was due to stand trial.
Prosper pictured walking to the school on the morning of his planned attack. Pic: Bedfordshire Police
Remembering the victims
The dilemma of whether to make his school shooting plan public has been difficult for police and prosecutors.
It is clearly deeply upsetting for the school community and they are mindful that Prosper craved attention and publicity, but it is also about challenging this kind of extreme behaviour online.
DCI Khanna’s investigation team has examined this “deeply troubling” case with the victims at the forefront of their minds.
“The family has really told us what wonderful people they were,” he said.
Juliana, he said, was “a doting mum who did a lot of work for charity and [was] a very keen runner”.
He described Giselle as “so popular amongst friends, a bright girl with an infectious smile”, while Kyle was a “funny young man, really into his sports and again very popular at school with his friends”.
Now, DCI Khanna said, the focus should be on the victims – “and how much they’ll be missed”.
Amnesty International says it is “deeply concerning” that police made 474 arrests during a Palestine Action demonstration in London.
Metropolitan Police said 466 were detained under the Terrorism Act for showing support for a banned group.
Eight more people were arrested for other offences, including five for assaulting officers.
The Met said it was the most arrests it’s made related to a single operation in at least the past decade.
Pic: PA
Organiser of the event, Defend Our Juries, earlier said up to 700 people were at the event in Parliament Square and claimed police were preparing for the “largest mass arrest in their history”.
The group said those arrested included former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg, NHS workers, quakers and a blind wheelchair user.
Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said in a statement: “The protesters in Parliament Square were not inciting violence and it is entirely disproportionate to the point of absurdity to be treating them as terrorists.
“Instead of criminalising peaceful demonstrators, the government should be focusing on taking immediate and unequivocal action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide and ending any risk of UK complicity in it.”
The Met said a “significant number of people” at the event were seen “displaying placards expressing support for Palestine Action”.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation.
“Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.”
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Palestine Action supporters arrested at protest
Police said those arrested had been taken to processing points in Westminster and any whose details could be confirmed were bailed on condition they didn’t attend further Palestine Action support events.
Others whose details could not be verified, possibly because they refused to give them, were taken to custody suites across London.
Pic: PA
The protests have put a strain on authorities’ capacity to cope.
Sky News understands senior leaders in the prison service, known as “Capacity Gold”, met today to discuss how to deal with the large number of arrests as the male prison estate is close to full.
It’s understood 800 inmates were moved out of the busiest jails in and around London beforehand.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Federation said: “Thinking of our colleagues and wishing all assaulted officers well. Remember there are no ‘extra’ police officers – just the same ones having their days off cancelled, having to work longer shifts and being moved from other areas. Officers are emotionally and physically exhausted.”
Read more: What does proscribing a group mean?
Legislation to ban Palestine Action came into force on 5 July, making it a criminal offence to show support for the organisation, carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Defend Our Juries said earlier this week the protest would still go ahead, following several similar demonstrations since it was outlawed last month.
On Saturday, a spokesperson said: “Palestine Action and people holding cardboard signs present no danger to the public at large.”
Pic: PA
Human rights advocates Amnesty International described the arrests of so many people under UK terrorism law as “deeply concerning”.
Another march organised by the Palestine Coalition, which is a separate group, set off from Russell Square and assembled on Whitehall.
The Met Police said one person had been arrested there for showing a placard in support of Palestine Action.
Pic: Reuters
Earlier this week, three people charged as a result of illegal Palestine Action activity were named.
Jeremy Shippam, 71, of West Sussex, Judit Murray, also 71, of Surrey, and Fiona Maclean, 53, of Hackney in east London, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 September.
The ban on Palestine Action faces a legal challenge in November after the High Court granted a full judicial review to Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori.
Foreign criminals will be deported from the UK immediately after they are sentenced, the justice secretary has said.
The law change proposed by Shabana Mahmood could save taxpayers an average of £54,000 a year per prison place.
The changes would apply to prisoners serving fixed-term “determinate” sentences.
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May: Inside one of Britain’s most overcrowded prisons
Authorities would also retain their power not to deport a criminal but instead keep them in custody – with examples including if an offender is planning further crimes against the UK’s interests or national security.
The justice secretary’s announcement goes further than a change to the law in June – expected to come into force in September – meaning prisoners face deportation 30% into their sentence rather than the current 50%.
The government will need parliament to greenlight its proposal to bring this down to 0%.
Foreign national offenders make up around 12% of the prison population.
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May: Male prison capacity running at 99%
Ms Mahmood said: “Our message is clear – if you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing.”
She added: “Deportations are up under this government, and with this new law they will happen earlier than ever before.”
Almost 5,200 foreign national offenders have been deported since July 2024, a 14% increase on the 12 months prior, according to the government.
Read more:
Inside one of Britain’s most overcrowded prisons
Prison system came ‘within days of collapse’
Prisoners to be moved to lower security jail
According to a Labour source, the previous Conservative government relied on prison transfer agreements with other countries to deport foreign national offenders, in deals which allow inmates to serve their custodial sentence in their “home” country.
This saw 945 prisoners sent to jails abroad between 2010 and 2023, equal to fewer than two criminals per week.
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July: Jenrick slams justice system shake-up
Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said: “In Starmer’s topsy-turvy world, investors are fleeing the country in their droves while record numbers of violent and sexual offenders from abroad are put up in our prisons. It’s a farce.
“Yet again Starmer has refused to confront our broken human rights laws.
“He needs to grow a backbone and change them so we can actually deport these individuals.
“The safety of the British public is infinitely more important than the ‘rights’ of sick foreign criminals.
“If countries won’t take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn’t working.”
Police have made 200 arrests in London after crowds turned out for a Palestine Action demonstration – despite the group being banned.
Organisers Defend Our Juries said up to 700 people were at the event in Parliament Square and claimed police were preparing for the “largest mass arrest in their history”.
The group said those arrested included former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg, NHS workers, quakers and a blind wheelchair user.
The Metropolitan Police said a “significant number of people” were seen “displaying placards expressing support for Palestine Action, which is a proscribed group”.
“We have now made 200 arrests in Parliament Square this afternoon,” the force wrote in a post on X.
In an earlier post, it wrote: “While many of those remaining in the square are media and onlookers, there are still people holding placards supporting Palestine Action. Officers are steadily working through the crowd making further arrests.”
An aerial view of Parliament Square
Protesters write on placards for the Lift the Ban campaign rally on Saturday. Pic: PA
Read more
What does proscribing a group mean?
Legislation to proscribe Palestine Action came into force on 5 July, making it a criminal offence to show support for the organisation, carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Defend Our Juries announced the protest would go ahead earlier this week despite the ban, following several other similar demonstrations since the proscription last month.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for the group said that “Palestine Action and people holding cardboard signs present no danger to the public at large”.
A woman is dragged away by police officers after attending the Palestine Action protest in Parliament Square. Pic: PA
Three people have been charged as a result of illegal Palestine Action activity.
Jeremy Shippam, 71, of West Sussex, Judit Murray, also 71, of Surrey, and Fiona Maclean, 53, of Hackney in east London, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 September.
Another march organised by the Palestine Coalition, which is a separate group, set off from Russell Square and assembled on Whitehall.
The Met Police said one person had been arrested there for showing a placard in support of the Palestine Action.
A man is detained by police officers in Parliament Square. Pic: PA
Crowds had assembled in Parliament Square by 1pm, with people seen writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” on placards.
Many remained silent while others sang pro-Palestine chants.
A Home Office spokesperson said in a previous statement: “The Home Secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights.
“It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues.”
The ban faces a legal challenge in November after the High Court granted a full judicial review to Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori.
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