UK police investigated after returning a weapon to Plymouth gunman

Home Secretary Priti Patel visits south-west city as force's actions come under scrutiny

Police in south-west England say six people were killed, including a suspected gunman, in the city of Plymouth in a 'serious firearms incident'.

Police officers cordon off the scene of the crime in the Keyham district of Plymouth.

Police responded to reports of gunshots alongside other emergency services.

Police gather evidence in Plymouth. The gunman shot dead two men, two women and a young child, before killing himself.

It was the worst mass shooting in the UK in more than a decade.

Emergency services close off a road near the scene of the mass shooting in Plymouth, England.

Britain’s police watchdog is investigating how a man who killed five people on Thursday night had been returned a gun and gun licence in July.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will look at the decision-making inside Devon and Cornwall Police that led to Jake Davison being re-armed.

Davison, 22, killed his mother and four other people, including girl of 3, before taking his own life in the south-west port city of Plymouth, Devon.

It was the first mass shooting in Britain, which has strict gun control laws and regulations, in more than a decade.

Police obtained a shotgun and certificate in December 2020 from Davison after an allegation of assault in September 2020, the IOPC said.

These were returned to him last month.

“We will examine what police actions were taken and when, the rationale behind police decision-making and whether relevant law, policy and procedures were followed concerning Mr Davison’s possession of a shotgun,” IOPC regional director David Ford, said.

“The investigation will also consider whether the force had any information concerning Mr Davison’s mental health and if so, if this information was appropriately considered.”

“We have determined we will carry out an independent investigation focusing on Jake Davison's firearms licensing history and its impact on the tragic events of Thursday, August 12,” he added.

Davison first killed his 51-year-old mother, Maxine Davison – also known as Maxine Chapman – at a house in the city's Keyham district.

He then went into the street and killed Sophie Martyn, 3, and her father, Lee Martyn, 43, as they walked along the road. Two other people were wounded.

Davison next killed Stephen Washington, 59, in a nearby park as he walked his dogs, before fatally shooting Kate Shepherd, 66, on a nearby street, as she stood outside a hairdressing salon.

The gunman then took his own life.

Floral tributes in Plymouth in memory of the victims. AFP

Home Secretary Priti Patel visited Plymouth on Saturday and viewed some of the flowers laid near the scene.

“It's tragic beyond words, really, really tragic, for a range of reasons, and obviously for those involved,” she said.

“I'm sure everyone will have known each other and this really will have touched so many people's lives.”

Police said Friday the motive for the shootings was unclear but there were no immediate signs they were an act of terrorism or that Davison had connections to extremist groups.

In a YouTube video posted weeks before the massacre, Davison likened himself to the cyborg assassin of The Terminator film.

Davison described himself as a socially isolated incel, or 'involuntary celibate'.

He described his existence as “me against the world” and posted online rants about single mothers and his own mother.

The incel movement justifies violence against women as revenge for men who are rejected as sexual partners, and has been linked to deadly attacks in the US and Canada.