The families of Nottingham University students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar have described their “complete and utter devastation” after the pair were killed in a series of attacks in the city. David and Emma Webber said “complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son”. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the family, from Taunton, Somerset, said their son, a first-year history student, was a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to”. “A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team. At 19 he was just at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man.” They added that his brother was “bereft beyond belief, and at this time we ask for privacy as a family to be allowed time to process and grieve”. O’Malley-Kumar’s family said she was “an adored daughter and sister” and a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady”. She was a first-year medical student and a talented hockey player who had played in the England U16 and U18 squads, and also played for the university. “Grace was not just a sister to James but his best friend. He is completely heartbroken. As parents, words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed,” her family said. “We were so incredibly proud of Grace’s achievements and what a truly lovely person she was. She was resilient and wise beyond her years. Grace was so happy in life fulfilling her ambition of studying to become a doctor whilst playing top-flight hockey at university.” The two students were stabbed to death in Ilkeston Road, near to their student halls, by an attacker who also allegedly killed Ian Coates, a 65-year-old school caretaker, in Magdala Road before stealing his van and driving at pedestrians in the city centre. Speaking at the scene where Coates was found fatally stabbed, his sons Lee and James Coates told reporters the school caretaker would have been on his way to work at the time of the attack. “He was a die-hard Forest fan and an avid fisherman,” Lee said. “He used to take under-privileged kids fishing just to get away from crime. You genuinely couldn’t find a nicer guy.” He left a vintage England football shirt at the scene with a message reading: “Dad, love you always and for ever.” The sports clubs where the two students played also issued tributes. England Hockey issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened” by O’Malley-Kumar’s death. “Grace was a popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads and our thoughts are with Grace’s family, friends, team-mates and the whole hockey community at this time,” it said. The Taunton-based Bishops Hull Cricket Club paid tribute on Tuesday to Webber, whom they nicknamed “Webbs”, saying he had “been a key part of our club and made such an impact in such a short space of time” after he joined in 2021. “Playing more than 30 games for the club, scoring 622 runs, and taking 29 wickets, his memory will live on,” the club’s statement read. The former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan also paid tribute, saying Webber was a “young cricketer gone far too soon”. A vigil is planned at the University of Nottingham at 4pm on Wednesday for students to come together, while the leader of the city council, David Mellen, said a further event was being planned in the city square on Thursday. Nottinghamshire police are continuing to question a 31-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder.