Twenty‑two people lost their lives on 22nd May 2017. The responsibility for their deaths lies with SA and HA.
Those individuals who were killed have always been at the heart of this Inquiry. The evidence has shown them to be irreplaceable, unique people who lit up the lives of those around them. The evidence has also shown the devastation their loss has caused to families and friends. It has brought home to everyone involved in this Inquiry, and watching the hearings, how important it is to protect and preserve life.
Evidence was given about each person who died, through the words of those who loved them, through pictures of them at some of their happiest moments and through song. I heard about their personalities, their strengths and their aspirations.
What follows is a summary of that evidence. For each individual, I have tried to capture something of who they were as a person. I also set out how they came to be in the City Room at 22:31.
In this Part, I do not go past the point of explosion. In Part 18 in Volume 2‑II, I return to each person in relation to what happened after the bomb was detonated.