Plymouth shooting: Six dead after gunman opens fire in Keyham area of city

A child under the age of 10 is believed to be one of the victims

Six people, including the suspected gunman, have died after a shooting in the Keyham area of Plymouth.

Two female and two male victims were found dead at the scene of the incident, in Biddick Drive, in the north of the city on Thursday evening, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Another female treated at the scene for gunshot wounds, died a short time later in hospital.

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP, Luke Pollard, said he was “devastated” to hear that one of the victims was a child under the age of 10. He said more people were being treated for their injuries in hospital.

Mr Pollard described the incident as “unspeakably awful” and “a very grim day for our city and our community”.

A sixth person, a man also found dead at the scene, is thought to be the gunman, officers said. No other suspects are being sought in connection with the case.

In a statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Investigations are continuing into the incident and disruption to the road network in Keyham will remain throughout the night.

“Police continue to ask any members of the public with mobile phone footage of the immediate aftermath of the incident not to post this on social media platforms and to respect those families who have lost loved ones this evening.”

Armed police and at least three air ambulances were on the scene (Plymouth Live/BPM Media)

One witness, who lives near Biddick Drive and gave her name as Sharron, 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.”

The incident is not being treated as terror-related.

The South Western Ambulance Service said that it was called out just after 6pm. It said in a statement: “We responded to the incident with a significant number of resources, including hazardous area response teams, multiple ambulances, air ambulances, multiple doctors and senior paramedics.”

Johnny Mercer, the MP for Plymouth Moor View, said on Twitter: “I am aware of a serious and tragic incident unfolding in Plymouth.” He asked locals to “obey all instructions from the police and do not post rumour or speculation on social media”.

He added: “We have the best cops in the land."

Home secretary Priti Patel tweeted: “The incident in Plymouth is shocking and my thoughts are with those affected.

“I have spoken to the Chief Constable and offered my full support. I urge everyone to remain calm, follow police advice and allow our emergency services to get on with their jobs.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “It’s clear tragedy has hit Keyham. My thoughts are with the families and neighbours of those caught up in this nightmare. I pay tribute to our emergency services who ran towards events we’d all run from.”

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