FGCU student studying abroad recalls London attacks

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Holly Turcich (Photo via Twitter)

LONDON A 21-year-old Florida Gulf Coast University student studying abroad in England described a frightening experience during Sunday’s terror attack that left seven people dead.

The attack started on London Bridge and spilled into the Borough Market, which is only about a 10-minute walk from where senior sociology student Holly Turcich is staying.

“I live just off Borough Road and so that was really scary, because all the roads and the tube station and everything was closed down,” Turcich said.

Turcich was with friends in Camden, which is farther away, when the attack happened, but the transportation shutdown stranded them there for about 90 minutes.

The terror attack was the third in the country since March, when a man plowed a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed a police officer to death inside Parliament gates. The other was last month’s bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Sunday’s attack was the closest to Turcich, who’s been in London since January. She’s scheduled to leave June 10, but police response has quelled the uneasiness she felt after what took place on Westminster Bridge.

“The London police have done a phenomenal job of being on top of stuff,” Turcich said.

She pointed to the use of surveillance cameras as part of the reason she feels assured. Fort Myers is in the process of installing cameras around town, and Naples has considered doing the same.

“I know people are watching, and I know they can take care of things quickly just because of past events, especially with Manchester,” Turcich said. “They’re just very on top of it, and it makes you feel more confident in their response to what happened.”

Turcich spoke with her parents shortly before the Westminster attack about what to do if she were in the midst of something like it. She called them after it happened and told them she was OK. She did the same Sunday.

“They’re scared, but of course any parent would be,” Turcich said. “But we have really good resources here and a good program and good support.”

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