The man who attacked my community with a crossbow has died: how do we move on now?
30 April 2025, 10:24
On Saturday afternoon, a man walked into a bar in the Leeds suburb of Headingley, the start of the Otley Run bar crawl, took out a crossbow, and attempted to undertake what he called ‘The Otley Run Massacre’.
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Two people were hospitalised with non life-threatening injuries, as well as the attacker.
For me, the attack was way too close to home; just a few streets away from where I live. Targeting the Otley Run, the embodiment of fun, frivolity, and innocence, made it even more frightening.
Like thousands of others, the Run was a staple of my time as a Leeds student; it’s the closest thing the city has to a pilgrimage. The bundles of hyperactive students joshing down the streets in cheap Santa suits and homemade tin foil robot costumes raise a smile every week. Every week until last Saturday.
I’ve spent the days after the attack talking to friends, neighbours and other locals. The overwhelming response has been shock, with a large dose of fear.
These types of attacks happen too often. But they always happen somewhere else, always too far away to feel the full force of the impact, and to feel the fear that it could happen to your area.
Then it happened here, and the whole community began asking why anyone would want to attack Headingley?
Home to a jumble of independent bars, restaurants and shops, violence of any kind is rare, so why would they pick here?
The only real explanation is hate.
In the immediate aftermath, the community was shaken, but relieved that the attack wasn’t worse, and determined to see the attacker face justice, to ensure he was punished for his actions.
Yesterday, he died from his injuries. He will not face justice.
Some have said good riddance, but most see his death as the easy option: a final act of cowardice, a parting shot at an already wounded community.
“With the attacker dead, how do we move on? Where can the community channel its pain, anger and fear?” people ask. They need reassurance and action to prove that our community is safe.
Our MP has said local authorities need to “look really deeply at how Otley Run operates.” If it’s stopped, the only winner is terrorism; they must find a way to make the run safe while maintaining its raucous fun.
Headingley is a vibrant place. It will bounce back. The aftershocks of the attack will continue to rumble for some time, but the response of local community groups, the kindness of businesses, and the empathy of local leaders suggest that it’s already well on its way back to normality.
Last night, the beer gardens were fit to burst with locals welcoming in the spring heatwave with a pint. They have not, will not, be cowed.
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Tom Horn is a writer and journalist based in Leeds.
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