By Kanishka Singh and Paul Sandle | Reuters
A number of people were killed in a mass shooting in the city of Plymouth in southwest England on Thursday evening, in an incident described by the Home Secretary as “shocking.”
The Times newspaper reported that up to six people were killed in the shooting and The Daily Telegraph said that a gunman was reportedly shot dead. It was unclear if he had killed himself or was shot by police.
Police did not confirm the number of fatalities in what they described as a “serious firearms incident,” but said the situation was believed to be contained.
The United Kingdom has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world, and mass shootings are rare.
Sharron Turner, 57, who lives behind the scene of the shooting, told The Times that a gunman had “kicked in” the front door of a semi-detached house before shooting a young mother and her daughter, who was aged about five. Turner said she had been told that the man, who was dressed in black and grey, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon.
After the attack the gunman escaped through a park behind the house and shot two dog walkers, The Times reported.
Local lawmaker Johnny Mercer said on Twitter that the incident was “not terror related.”
“The incident in Plymouth is shocking and my thoughts are with those affected,” Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Twitter.
Devon & Cornwall Police said they were called to the Keyham area of the city at 6.10 p.m. on Thursday.
“There have been a number of fatalities at the scene and several other casualties are receiving treatment,” they said.
The South Western Ambulance Service earlier said it had responded to an incident with a significant number of resources, including Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART), multiple ambulances, air ambulances, multiple doctors and senior paramedics.
Source: Orange County Register
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