“William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.”
The family of William Chapman, who was killed by a tiger at a wildlife park, have described the 23-year-old as a “bright, warm and engaging young man”.
Mr Chapman, who was mauled to death when he entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on Saturday, had suffered from “significant mental illness over a number of years”, his family added in a statement.
“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,” they said on Tuesday.
“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this.
“The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”
In the statement, his family added: “William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.
“Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication.
“It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death.
“We would ask everybody to respect that process.”
As a child, Mr Chapman appeared in ITV’s May Contain Nuts, alongside Harry Potter actress Shirley Henderson, and in the BBC’s True Stories series, according to IMDB.
He previously attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In a tribute shared on Facebook, the school said it was “deeply saddened” to hear of the loss of its former student, adding “we loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer”.
Jackie Palmer Stage School said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former student, William Chapman.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.
“We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us.
“It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
“William will be truly missed, and he will always hold a special place in our hearts. Rest in peace, William.”
According to footage posted in reports, Mr Chapman appeared to have filmed the moment he approached the animal.
A short clip, apparently posted on a now-deleted Instagram account, was filmed inside the tiger’s enclosure and the large animal can be seen lying on top of a wooden platform, a few metres in front of the camera.
In the audio, the person filming can be heard breathing heavily as distant voices shout: “Oh my God” and: “Seriously.”
On Tuesday night, US president Donald Trump posted footage of Mr Chapman being attacked by the tiger on his Truth Social platform accompanied with the signed message: “Don’t ever mess with nature!”
Mr Trump followed this up a short time later with a separate post featuring a video montage that appeared to show a series of other people being mauled by lions accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack.
Later on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump posted an AI-generated video of himself playing with a tiger.
The park will remain closed on Wednesday for a fifth day following the attack.
Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm on October 10 when Mr Chapman, who police said was visiting the park alone, entered the enclosure.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, said on Monday it had started a health and safety investigation.
Dan Swaine, executive director of place at City of Doncaster Council, said: “As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.
“We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident.
“At this time, we won’t be commenting further on the individual or the investigation and we ask that the privacy of those involved is respected at this difficult time.”
In a previous statement on social media, the wildlife park said “many, many people” had contacted them about Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident, and it confirmed he is “safe and well” and will not be euthanised.