Plymouth shooting: Outpouring of sympathy and shock after six killed in tragedy that rocks Keyham

There has been an outpouring of support from MPs, local figures and people on social media after six were killed in a shocking gun attack in Plymouth.

Jake Davison, 22, opened fire in the Keyham area in what was said to be the worst mass shooting in the UK for over a decade. He shot and killed his 51-year-old mother, Maxine Davison, in a house on Biddick Drive before shooting three-year-old Sophie, her father Lee Martyn, 43, Stephen Washington, 59 and Kate Shepherd, 66. The gunman later turned the weapon on himself.

Witnesses described hearing gunshots with one saying she saw a man “randomly” start shooting at people.

One told the BBC: “Firstly, there was shouting, followed by gunshots – three, possibly four to begin with.

“This was when the shooter kicked in the door of a house and randomly started shooting… he ran from the house shooting as he ran and proceeded to shoot at a few people in the Linear Park up from the drive.”

Robert Pinkerton told the BBC he had “walked around the corner” and “bumped into a bloke with a shotgun”.

In a statement early on Friday morning, Devon and Cornwall Police said that the incident was not terror related.

The force’s chief constable Shaun Sawyer later added that Davison shot and killed a woman in a house before shooting dead the girl, her male relative and two others .He added the weapon used in the Plymouth shooting was described as a “pump action shotgun” and confirmed a firearm had been recovered from the scene.

Davison turned the gun on himself before firearms officers engaged him and police did not fire any shots, he confirmed.

Responding to the attacks, people issued their support for the victims and condemned the violence.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said:

Defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “It’s a tragedy. My thoughts are with the tragic loss of life and families who have lose loved ones today”.

Home secretary Priti Patel said:

While other politician,s including local MPs and Labour leader Keir Starmer, issued similar statements:

Plymouth Argyle FC tweeted: “Our hearts go out to victims of tonight’s tragic incident in our city, alongside their families, friends, and the wider Plymouth community.”

And others on social media expressed their support for the victims.

If you want to know how you can help police with their investigation in the wake of this shocking incident, click here.