When UF alumnus and England native Scott Henshall heard the news of a deadly attack in London on Saturday night, he immediately reached for his phone to message his brother.
Although he was safe in a Birmingham club about 2 1/2 hours away from London, Henshall feared for his 27-year-old brother who works near Canon Street — about three blocks from London Bridge, where three knife-wielding assailants had just driven their white van through crowds of pedestrians, according to The New York Times.
By morning, he finally got word that his brother was OK.
“I was worried for some time, but I remembered him saying he was going to stay in that night — so I tried not to think too much of it,” Henshall, who graduated from UF in April with a bachelor’s degree in economics, wrote in an email.
Saturday night marked England’s third major terrorist attack in the past three months. After the three men crashed their van into a bus stop, they went on foot into Borough Market, a crowded nightspot near London Bridge, and stabbed multiple people, according to the Times.
At least seven people were killed and dozens more wounded, 21 of whom remain in critical condition, according to the Times.
Henshall said he was in London himself Monday while interviewing for jobs. After fulfilling his dream of attending college in America, Henshall said he won’t allow terrorism to affect his plans of getting a job in a big city in his home country.
“I know England will be fine,” the 21-year-old said. “(We) came out stronger after the 2007 attacks, and I know we can come out stronger after this.”
There are 47 UF students currently studying abroad in London, UF spokesperson Janine Sikes said. All are safe and accounted for.
UF marketing junior Lizzie Connor said recent terror attacks have impacted London in
two major ways: guns and police presence.
Last Summer, during her semester abroad as part of the UF in London program, the 20-year-old said she hardly ever saw guns on the streets.
But this summer, when she returned to England’s capital city for a 10-day vacation, she said she saw more police patrolling with guns.
“There’s definitely more police presence and military presence, especially in areas that are more tourist-driven,” she said.
Connor also said the fear of future attacks won’t affect her plans of possibly returning to London for work after graduation.
This summer, it’s news of attacks in England that has her taken back. Last Summer, while she was thousands of miles away studying in London, Connor said it was the news of the Pulse nightclub shooting in her own hometown, Orlando, that shook her.
“At the end of the day, it can pretty much happen anywhere,” she said.
Contact David Hoffman at dhoffman@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter: @hoffdavid123.
