GUNMAN LOOSE IN CUMBRIA - SEVERAL FATALITIES

[Technologic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10214661.stm


A number of people have been killed and others injured after a gunman opened fire in several areas of west Cumbria.

Police are searching for the suspect, named as Derrick Bird, after shots were fired in Whitehaven, Seascale and Egremont.

Detectives said he drove into the central Lakes in a Citroen Picasso before abandoning it in the Boot area.

People who live nearby are being urged to stay indoors for their own protection.

A force spokesman said officers are working to establish the identities of those killed and wounded.

Police were initially called after shots were fired in Duke Street, Whitehaven, at 1035 BST.

A force spokesman said: "We can confirm that a number of people have been injured after shots were fired in the Whitehaven, Seascale and Egremont areas this morning.

"There are a number of fatalities and police are working to identify the individuals and inform relatives. Ambulance crews are in attendance across the area."


Anyone who sees 52-year-old Mr Bird, from Rowrah near Frizington, should contact Cumbria Police.

Eyewitness Peter Watson said he had seen a body lying in the street in Whitehaven.

"When I first got here it must have just happened. There was a man lying on the ground with police stood over him and a jacket on him," he said.

The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in west Cumbria has also closed its gates as a safety precaution and afternoon shift workers are being told to stay away until the "risk is reduced".

BBC Look North Chief Reporter Chris Stewart said a body was still visibly lying in the street in the town.

He said helicopters had been brought in from other forces to help in the hunt for Derrick Bird.

---------- Post added 02-06-2010 at 02:05 PM ----------

UPDATE: Body of suspected gunman found in wooded area near crime scene

[StefanWolves]

Killed up to 10 people Sky News are reporting, their source is the local media & local news papers of Cumbria, so they're probably accurate.

Killed 10 and has now taken his own life, what drives people to do this sort of stuff? crazy.

[PaulMacC]

R.I.P to all that have been killed.
Crazy stuff ;/

[Swastika]

Crazy stuff, feel sorry for whoever lost their life for absolutely no point at all.

[StefanWolves]

Made me laugh, they had some women who lived in Cumbria on the phone on Sky News just, and she said:

''we had lock ourselves inside cause the gun that the gunman was using had a 2 mile range!!!''

[lorren]

woah, messed up people these days. rip to the people who died :/

[MrPinkPanther]

David Cameron has confirmed AT LEAST 5 people have died.

[danzooo]

Why someone would do such a thing is anyone's guess.

[xxMATTGxx]

Bloody hell, scary stuff. It amazes me how people can just do this sort of thing? :S

[Banana Pancakes]

Bloody hell, scary stuff. It amazes me how people can just do this sort of thing? :S

I know. I can't comprehend someone doing that.

[MrPinkPanther]

Its been confirmed that 12 are dead :(.

[Geraint]

25 others injured. ******* hell, i thought it was about 11 injured and killed together. that's 37 people targetted.

[flatface]

Very very sad news, RIP to all the victims

[Nixt]

This really is crazy news. RIP to all those that died, and I hope those that are injured make a speedy recovery.

[Frodo13.]

Madness. RIP to all the victims, and condolences to their families. Also, I feel deeply deeply sorry for the family of the murderer, their lives compleatly ruined aswell also.

[Jayke]

According to my next door neighbour her brother was shot. Good job that ******* ***** killed himself, or I would of sliced his body into 50 pieces and **** in his face.

http://i46.tinypic.com/2e4zr5i.png

[Hitman]

Terrible and very shocking. :( All those innocent people... makes you realise how precious life is.

Coronation street was cancelled due to the shootings because in today's episode there's more shooting...

[Black_Apalachi]

It was mad on the news, his mates and other people saying how he was always a friendly bloke but then just BAM for no apparent reason. Dead weird seeing it on your regional news as well (North West Tonight).

[Moh]

Have they found out the motive for it all? I read that he was a normal guy.

[Black_Apalachi]

I get the impression he must have had some sort of beef with them (the first one or two victims at least) - even something minor from way in the past and from there it just spiralled out of control.

[Judge Judy]

They say it was caused by a family row (theory anyway) - now where did I see it not The Mirror.

I remember: BBC; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10222188.stm

[Pixet]

I read it when it only said there were 5 dead. Now there's moree:/ so sad. :(
At least corrie had the decency to cancel last nights episode with the shooting.

[sammy]

This shocked me when i first heard about it, especially due to the fact that this man had a reputation for being quiet and shy. Strange, and I really wonder what caused him to turn like this and just shoot random people.

[Caution]

Similar to the Dunblane shootings, shocking.

[Tintinnabulate]

I was in whitehaven today to meet customers and it was filled with TV Vans and news reporters. Drove past a few of the scenes where people died. One of the customers I met told me he knew the guy for many years and he drove past his place yesterday.

[Pixet]

They say it was caused by a family row (theory anyway) - now where did I see it not The Mirror.

I remember: BBC; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10222188.stm

Other things were also saying that people in his Taxi company would tease him as a joke but someone took it too far which is why he opened fire on taxi drivers too. soo sad :(

[Tintinnabulate]

Other things were also saying that people in his Taxi company would tease him as a joke but someone took it too far which is why he opened fire on taxi drivers too. soo sad :(

The one he shot dead had fallen out with him.

[Jordy]

The latest is he was in enormous debt to the taxman (£100k) and needed his mother's will to pay it off, except his twin-brother was getting a large share and thought he was stitched up by the solicitor. He was also scared of going to prison because of all the tax. Then of course there might be factors like people winding him up. We're not gonna hear the proper facts till there's an inquest presumably but this sounds quite reasonable.

[Hitman]

People on CNN are ******* dumb. They're all like "HAHAHA SEE EVEN WITH UR TIGHT GUN LAWS **** HAPPENS!!!!!11! EMPOWER THE PEOPLE WITH GUNS!" - er, no. This doesn't happen very often at all, I'm not sure of the last killing spree involving guns in the UK. Allowing everybody to bare arms in the UK would cause ****loads more trouble...

[Stephen]

Did anyone see the news last night where the police were talking and he was like "BLAHBLAHBLAH.. but we can't talk to him because he is dead..." WELL DUH I THINK WE GUESSED THAT YOU CANT TALK TO HIM BECAUSE HE IS DEAD IDIOT

[Sharon]

I feel deeply for the families >3 They postponed Corrie for TWO DAYS - But I can see why with the Tony events :'(

[Catzsy]

The latest is he was in enormous debt to the taxman (£100k) and needed his mother's will to pay it off, except his twin-brother was getting a large share and thought he was stitched up by the solicitor. He was also scared of going to prison because of all the tax. Then of course there might be factors like people winding him up. We're not gonna hear the proper facts till there's an inquest presumably but this sounds quite reasonable.

I would say this is probably correct as the first three victims were his twin brother, a solicitor and an estate agent.
Tragic, absolutely tragic for all concerned. RIP :(

[Black_Apalachi]

The latest is he was in enormous debt to the taxman (£100k) and needed his mother's will to pay it off, except his twin-brother was getting a large share and thought he was stitched up by the solicitor. He was also scared of going to prison because of all the tax. Then of course there might be factors like people winding him up. We're not gonna hear the proper facts till there's an inquest presumably but this sounds quite reasonable.

This is what I heard also. Perhaps the other victims were basically down to him thinking along the lines of 'well I've just killed those guys for this stuff, so I may as well get him for that time he did ... and her for that time she said ...' etc etc.

I can't even imagine being in the shoes of the twin brother who is left alive. It's just awful.

[Jordy]

What's pissing me off is how the family are saying they have no idea why he did it and deny any family disputes. We're not ******* stupid and it's incredibly harsh on all the victims families. It'll all come out during an inquest I've no doubt but I don't believe for a second the family didn't know what was going on.


The family of gunman Derrick Bird say they have no idea why he carried out the "horrific" shootings in Cumbria.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10249066.stm