British teenager who killed family and planned school massacre gets minimum 49 years in prison

A 19-year-old British man who shot and killed his mother and two younger siblings, with aspirations of carrying out a high-profile school shooting, has been sentenced to a minimum of 49 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

At Luton Crown Court on Wednesday, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated that she had considered a full life sentence for Nicholas Prosper but opted against it due to his age—he was 18 at the time of the murders—and his guilty plea.

Last month, Prosper admitted to murdering his mother, Juliana Falcon, 48, his 13-year-old sister, Giselle Prosper, and his 16-year-old brother, Kyle Prosper, at their shared apartment in Luton, Bedfordshire, on September 13. He had also stabbed his brother more than 100 times.

The judge told Prosper that his ultimate goal was "notoriety," as he wanted to be known posthumously as "the world's most famous school shooter of the 21st century." She noted that his case displayed recurring themes seen in school shootings worldwide, including a sexual interest in children, an online-induced detachment from reality, a lack of empathy, and the deliberate selection of a "uniform" for the attack.

The court heard that Prosper, who had struggled to stay in education or maintain a job, had been planning the attack on his family and his former elementary school for Friday the 13th, believing the infamous date would add to his notoriety.

He had forged a gun license, allowing him to purchase a shotgun and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer the day before the murders. His initial plan was to kill his family while they slept, but his mother woke up and, realizing something was "terribly wrong," fought back.

After shooting his mother, Prosper placed a copy of the novel How to Kill Your Family on her legs. He then shot his sister as she hid under a table and proceeded to stab and shoot his brother.

"The lives of your own mother and younger brother and sister were to be collateral damage on the way to fulfilling your ambition," the judge said.

Prosper appeared "cheerful" when police arrested him in a nearby street, with blood on his hands, clothes, and glasses, according to the prosecution.

Detective Superintendent Rob Hall of Bedfordshire Police read a statement on behalf of Prosper's father, Raymond Prosper, who said the deaths of his ex-partner and children were a devastating loss. He also credited the police's quick response for preventing further tragedy.

"Their deaths and the fast response of Bedfordshire Police stopped any other family in the community going through the pain we have suffered," he said.