US tourist killed in London attack would not have ill feelings towards attacker, family says

The family of U.S. tourist Kurt Cochran who was killed in last week’s assault on the British parliament said on Monday he would not have borne any ill feelings toward the attacker.

Cochran, 54, and his wife, Melissa, were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and had been due to return to the United States the day after the attack took place last Wednesday.

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He was killed when a British man, Khalid Masood, plowed down pedestrians as he sped along Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing an unarmed policeman at the parliament building.

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“We know that Kurt wouldn’t bear ill feelings toward anyone and we can draw strength as a family from that,” said family spokesman Clint Payne at a news conference.

“His whole life was an example of focusing on the positive. Not pretending that negative things don’t exist but not living our life in the negative – that’s what we choose to do.”

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Payne said the family had been through a humbling and difficult experience but had “felt the love of so many people.”

Three others were also killed in the assault and around 50 people were injured, making it Britain’s deadliest attack since the 2005 London underground bombings. Masood was shot dead.

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Cochran’s wife suffered a broken leg and rib and a cut to her head.

The couple were visiting Melissa Cochran’s parents, who are missionaries in London for the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormon church, LDS spokesman Eric Hawkins said in an email.

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Kurt Cochran’s most recent photo uploads on his Facebook page depicted scenes from their vacation in Europe, including one of him smiling while holding a large glass of Belgian beer.