Plymouth recalls Keyham massacre a year

People gathered at a citizen service to remember the victims of one of the UK’s worst mass shootings.

Last August 12, Jake Davison killed his mother, Maxine Davison, 51, in a row and then shot dead four others in a 12-minute attack.

Sophie Martyn, three, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66, have all died.

Davison, 22, a trainee crane operator, then turned his pump-operated shotgun himself before armed officers approached him.

On its first anniversary, Plymouth marked the milestone with a service at St Andrew’s Minster Church and subsequent vigils at North Down Crescent Park in Keyham and on The Hoe, with attended by hundreds of people.

Members of the public and emergency services attended the 45-minute service along with politicians and civic leaders.

Those present included Shaun Sawyer, sheriff of Devon and Cornwall Police, police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez, local MP Luke Pollard and the Mayor of Plymouth.

During the service, Plymouth Young Poet Laureate Holly Peters read Loneliness, and her soul and blues singer Joanna Cooke performed Carole King’s Way Over Yonder.

Lord Mayor, Councilor Sue Dann, told the congregation: “Today is a time to think about the families who have lost the most and how their lives have been disrupted in the ways they have lost. never predictable and certainly never a choice.

“For them, time will probably never heal the wounds and the pain, which we pray may one day heal.

“The city will always remember that shocking day as it continues to help those living in and around Keyham.”

Speaking before the ceremony, Reverend Joe Dent, principal of St Andrews said: “A year ago, as the events unfolded on the streets of Keyham, there was a real sense of shock, horror and grief.

“I think a year with that feeling of grief and loss still feels real.

“So this service will be an opportunity for those who want to come together to express their grief, their sense of loss, to pay their respects and to pray together.

“I know that there are many different events going on in the city but hopefully this service will be the time when those who have been impacted the most – the bereaved family or survivors of the economic event will be the ones most affected. The emperor and those who have reacted to it can come together and find a sense of their ability to express sadness and respect. “

Rev Dent said while this is a civic service, it will be a very personal act for the families of the deceased as they choose music to honor their loved ones.

“We feel that the past year is a good time to reflect on the present and look to the future, so we will light three candles – one for the past, one for the present and one for the future. for the future,” he said.

“So look back in memory, think of the present as how people, communities and authorities have responded to the situation and then look forward to the months and years to come.

“We all know that things like this don’t just go away but people need love and encouragement for a long, long, long, long time.”

The murders have led to waves of sympathy and offers of help from across the community.

Since the shooting was witnessed by up to 300 people, nearly £2 million has been pledged from the Government to help Keyham and surrounding areas recover.

The atrocity comes weeks after a handgun and license were returned to Davison by Devon and Cornwall Police.

The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating how the force approved his application and returned him to his license and handgun.

Police will now have to check someone’s medical history before issuing a gun license, the Home Office announced.

Davison has been receiving mental health support during the containment of the coronavirus.

The use of social media shows an obsession with the involuntary – or involuntary – culture of celibacy, as well as an interest in guns and the United States.

In November 2016, his mother reported him to the Government’s Stop Terrorism program, which aims to prevent people from becoming terrorists, months before he applied for a handgun license.