I still feel that for a person to lose their life (no matter who they are or what they've done or to which group they belong) is a tragedy, and I feel so sorry for their family.

And I also feel that generalisations and 'tarring everyone with the same brush' is dangerous and leads to racism, hatred, ostracising and violence.

There have been problems with a group of travellers in Norfolk quite recently, in particular in Cromer last year during the Cromer Festival. But even Norfolk Police issued a statement later saying it would be wrong to include ALL travellers in a blanket condemnation (quite rightly).

We get Bank Holiday bikers having fights sometimes in Yarmouth, drunks getting violent in Norwich after the clubs close, drug dealers and their 'customers' being attacked or even killed. It all goes on, and not just in London.
However, the words 'war zone' is just journalistic inflammatory language aimed at firing up reactions and provoking anger.
The solution to that is not to become angry, heated, racist, defensive, accusatory and so on. That would just be playing right into their hands.