Update: June 16, 5:30 p.m.: Police have confirmed that British Labour MP Jo Cox died after being shot and stabbed in her constituency earlier this afternoon.

"The whole of the Labour Party and Labour family — and indeed the whole country — will be in shock at the horrific murder of Jo Cox today," Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement. "Jo Cox had a lifelong record of public service and a deep commitment to humanity. She worked both for Oxfam and the anti-slavery charity the Freedom Fund, before she was elected last year as MP for Batley and Spen — where she was born and grew up.

"Jo was dedicated to getting us to live up to our promises to support the developing world and strengthen human rights — and she brought those values and principles with her when she became an MP. Jo died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve. It is a profoundly important cause for us all," Corbyn said.