Murder of Lee Rigby

On the afternoon of 22 May 2013, a British Army soldier, Fusilier Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was attacked and killed by Islamist terrorists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale^[3] near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]}

Rigby was off duty and walking along Wellington Street when he was attacked.^[10] Adebolajo and Adebowale ran him down with a car, then used knives and a cleaver to stab and hack him to death.^[11] The men dragged Rigby's body into the road and remained at the scene until police arrived, informing passers-by that they had murdered Rigby to avenge Muslims killed by the British military.^[12] Unarmed police arrived at the scene nine minutes after an emergency call was received and set up a cordon. Armed police officers arrived five minutes later. The assailants, armed with a cleaver and brandishing a gun, charged at the police, who fired shots that wounded them both. They were apprehended and taken to separate hospitals.^[12] Adebolajo and Adebowale are British of Nigerian descent, were raised as Christians, and converted to Islam.^[13]

On 19 December 2013, both of the attackers were found guilty of Rigby's murder.^[14] On 26 February 2014, they were sentenced to life imprisonment, with Adebolajo given a whole life order and Adebowale ordered to serve at least 45 years.^[15] The attack was condemned by political and Muslim leaders in the United Kingdom and in the international press.^[16][17]