12 confirmed murdered and 25 injured after Gunman runs amok in Whitehaven, Egremont and Seascale, Cu

Ahh sorry. I meant what size of weapon. .410, 12 gauge, 20 gauge, that sort of thing. And the type of shot being used.

If he was tearing up the faces of his victims I wonder how they recognized him so quickly. A shotgun suicide is very messy, not much face/head left behind often.


Edit to add: I guess I am just saying they seem awful sure it is him awful fast considering the damage that his head/face might have sustained.

I guess they could do finger prints but I would guess that would take longer unless they had them on file. Not sure about how they do finger print files over there, compared to here.



Raist


[edit on 6/2/10 by Raist]

Originally posted by Raist
Ahh sorry. I meant what size of weapon. .410, 12 gauge, 20 gauge, that sort of thing. And the type of shot being used.

If he was tearing up the faces of his victims I wonder how they recognized him so quickly. A shotgun suicide is very messy, not much face/head left behind often.

Raist

Well the body found in the woods may have wearing clothing matching the description given by eyewitnesses. He may have used a different weapon or method of suicide.

As for what kind of shotgun, sorry I don't think we know that. I would be surprised if many would really know the difference in this case, or even get close enough to tell.

House manager of Seascale Golf Club on BBC News 24. ''2 killed in Seascale 1 seriously injuried''.

Raist- There is no word on the weapon, this incident has only just ended, the police haven't even been able to contact the families of all those shot.

reply to post by Muppetus Galacticus


True, that was an assumption on my point. I just assume you use a shotgun to blast people and you are going to kill yourself you use the weapon on yourself as well. Been around guns my whole life and had a family member end their life with a shotgun. It can be difficult to tell who is dead unless you nearly see them do it or check their prints. Well depending on the size of the weapon that is, of course some do more damage than others.

Other than that for anyone in the area I would still be alert. Until they know positively sure it is him he could have found a body close to his own size and used them as a cover for escape.

Raist

Terrible story, really like to find out what made him crack. I thought he would kill himself after his little rampage, most of these types do. Oh and i agree with mythatsabigprobe..i used be staunchly anti-gun but not anymore i have to say.

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


I hope that they get things cleared up soon and get a hold of those who need to be spoken with.

I also hope that the body found is truly that of the killer. I really hope he did not do a body swap sort of thing so that he could escape. Those involved though will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Raist

Originally posted by Raist
Other than that for anyone in the area I would still be alert. Until they know positively sure it is him he could have found a body close to his own size and used them as a cover for escape.

That is a good point. When events like this occur, we just assume that person has completely gone off the deep end and isn't thinking normally. There could the chance that this guy IS thinking straight and has a plan.

Sky News - first shooting was outside a beauticians in Whitehaven. More speculation, but perhaps it all revolves around a woman?

Sky news reporting he returned to his home village and shot his mother, this is unconfirmed so far.



[edit on 2-6-2010 by Broonie]

The BBC reporter Chris Stuart in Whitehaven seemed to offer the Police some kind of defence for the amount of time it took them to find the shooter by emphasising the size of the area of Cumbria and the thousands of roads that 'crisscross' the county.

But Stuart Hyde, deputy chief constable of Cumbria, refused to take that offer and praised his officers and all the emergency services very highly. From reports so far it sound's like the Police reacted very quickly in Whitehaven and were on his trail immediately.



[edit on 2-6-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

reply to post by Muppetus Galacticus


If it revolves around a woman, there is a chance that he did end his own life. Normally (looking at the deep end side of things) they do kill themselves.

I for the most part though try to think of the "what they might do" though if they have some sort of plan.

Raist

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


Reports leaked from at Whitehaven Hospital say there are 15 people dead.

Byrd has a shot fellow taxi driver , a slim man in his thirties called Darren Meckeyfield, a Middlesborough supporter. Byrd is a strange loner known to locals ....and just in! He`s killed his mother.

Sky News - Bird crashed his car and was approached by a man asking if he was ok, Bird replied that he was and walked off! That guy is the luckiest man alive right now.

"I can confirm that we have found a body in a wooded area of Boot which we believed to be Mr Bird together with a firearm," said Stuart Hyde, Assistant Chief Constable of Cumbria Police.

He said there had been a number of fatalities and injuries but would not confirm numbers until police had spoken to relatives. The BBC reported that 11 people had been shot although it was not known how many had been killed.

TAXI DRIVERS DISPUTE Another taxi driver from Whitehaven, who declined to be named, told Reuters that Bird, who he had known for about 20 years, had shot two other taxi drivers in a dispute. "It came out of the blue. He is a quiet guy," the taxi driver said. Receptionist Helen Owens, 27, working in a lawyers' office about 150 metres down the road from the shooting, said she heard two shots. "We heard a bang and then we saw a police officer running towards where the shooting happened," she told Reuters. "I popped my head out of the door and saw him stop and flag down a passing car and jump into the car with another guy and then we heard another bang." Bird was last seen heading towards the central area of Cumbria, in the heart of the Lake District. The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Seascale said all the site gates had been closed, with staff told to remain at their posts on site while the incident was continuing. However it said its operations were unaffected.

Source
MY thoughts go out to the victims families.

David Cameron is making a statement about the shootings now in PMQ.

At least 5 are dead according to Cameron.

www.bbc.co.uk...



[edit on 2-6-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

I LIVE in Whitehaven and previously lived in BOTH Seascale and Gosforth.

Today is my day off work, i work at Betfred, which is about 20 yards away from the first shooting, so i am glad i am off work...

Today is such a surreal day, Whitehaven and the whole of Cumbria is a very very rural area where nothing like this ever goes on, its amazingly rare.

I woke up to being told to lock the doors as a gunman is on the loose, apart from farmers its very rare for someone to even have a gun around here.

The only person i know who is pretty much confirmed dead is Gary Purdam, he is the son of my old P.E teacher and a rugby player, he was even in Englands rugby squad, very well known.

Before any conspiracy's start on this, he was just a taxi driver, and Cumbria is a VERY quiet place and he has just lost it and been a selfish **** that should of killed himself rather than killing others.

I am just glad all my family and friends are safe.

Although i am still waiting to find out who has died as i more than likely will know them....

reply to post by Concept X


I'm so sorry man. My thoughts are with you and the families and friends of the victims.

Peoples reactions, a friend who lives in Seascale just text me (shs currently on holiday in Italy)

"Im freaking out, i cant believe that happened when we go away...The man from gosforth that died is mrs purdhams son. and the man that was shooting shot the woman from seascale right in the head outside the shop. He killed himself just by where i work, so glad i wasnt at work today"

Everyone knows everyone around here and thats why i bet i sadly know most of the victims when announced.

Facebook is going mental, all my friends updating constantly, so far no one close to me is hurt.

The rumors going around are basically hes just been shooting people randomly point blank in the face with a shotgun.

Since he killed himself we will get no answers...

5 People confirmed dead so far, ive had BBC News channel (sky 503) on since around half 11 this morning watching none stop.

[edit on 2-6-2010 by Concept X]

Rod Davies, landlord of Gosforth Hall Inn, said there are unconfirmed reports locally that Bird shot his mother. He rang through this graphic sequence of events with PA:

"The guy flipped for whatever reason. Whether it was pre-meditated, we don't know. We've heard he returned home and shot his mother. Then he has gone on a spree to Seascale, where he's believed to have caused two fatalities. He then left Seascale and went through Gosforth where he's believed to have killed a local farmer, and shot him at point-blank range.

He's then headed to the valley where Boot is." Mr Davies said that shortly after they heard the man had arrived in Boot, police called to inform him it was safe to leave his property. I'm welling up as I knew the local farmer who is believed to be killed."

www.guardian.co.uk...

reply to post by Concept X


Byrd has killed one of your customers ..Darren, the slim guy with short dark hair , a fellow taxi driver who supports Middlesborough and local
reports say that Byrd, a weird loner, has shot and killed his mother.

The press have not stated the latter at the moment.

Cumbria has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. However

Home Office figure show that there are 22,476 licensed shotguns in Cumbria with 9,868 shotgun certificates in force on March 31 this year. In the last year 370 new certificates were granted and only two applications refused by the Cumbria police.

www.guardian.co.uk...

Make of that what you will.