14 August 2021

Investigations continue as Keyham residents pay tribute to shooting victims

14 August 2021

A large police cordon remains in place at the scene of a mass shooting in Plymouth which left five people dead, as local residents continue to pay their respects with floral tributes.

More than 70 bouquets have been left outside a Lidl supermarket close to where the shootings happened in Keyham on Thursday.

Green heart-shaped balloons bearing the names of the five victims – Maxine Davison, Lee Martyn, Sophie Martyn, Kate Shepherd and Stephen Washington – have been tied to a nearby railing.

A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

More floral tributes have been left by mourners in nearby North Down Crescent Park, where hundreds attended a candle-lit vigil in honour of the victims on Friday evening.

One woman, who gave her name only as Terri, brought her two grandchildren as she paid her respects at the park on Saturday.

She told reporters she had known Ms Davison “for years” and that she was “lovely”, adding: “I didn’t even realise it was her until yesterday when I saw her photo.”

She said she had brought her two grandchildren to pay tribute in particular to three-year-old Sophie, placing a pink candle and teddy bear next to the floral tributes.

Floral tributes left in the Keyham area (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

Home Secretary Priti Patel, joined by Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, paid her respects to the victims by placing a large bouquet of white flowers at the park at midday on Saturday.

The Home Secretary said the incident was “tragic beyond words” as she spoke to members of the local neighbourhood watch team, including Kev Sproston, who told her that the mass shooting was “our September 11”.

After the discussion, Mr Sproston told reporters: “How I define that is the fact that every single kid, every single adult, knows exactly where they were, similar to 9/11.

“To the point that I speak to people, and they will tell me exactly where their brother was, where their sister was, where their mother was.

Home Secretary Priti Patel and Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police Shaun Sawyer (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

“That’s the impact that it’s had on people, it’s going to be something that is in their own minds and thoughts for a long period of time.”

Plymouth pub The Anchorage held a two-minute silence at 3pm ahead of Everton’s Premier League match “as a mark of respect” to 43-year-old Mr Martyn and his daughter Sophie.

In a post on Facebook, the pub added: “Lee and Sophie were very close to us here at The Anchorage and we all will truly miss them both.”

Police are continuing to investigate within a large cordon in Keyham after the shooting spree by gunman Jake Davison, 22, on Thursday.

Officers from Wiltshire Police, West Mercia Police and Avon and Somerset Police are assisting on mutual aid, an officer at the scene said.

A Keyham resident who lives near the scene of the shooting said on Saturday she initially thought the gunshots were fireworks.

Melanie Fletcher, 52, who works in a local supermarket, told the PA news agency: “My back garden backs onto the field, so I saw the four helicopters land, and then a fifth one hovering.

The police investigation continued on Saturday morning (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

“We heard the shots but me and my husband are from London and it’s so quiet here that first of all we thought it was a car backfiring.

“After the third, fourth shot, my husband thought maybe it was fireworks, you know. But as we were cleaning our car, armed police came by and said go in and shut your door.

“It’s very quiet around here – we’ve only been here 18 months and from what I can gather, it’s a very close community, and everybody knows everybody. So, it was quite shocking.”

On people laying flowers in the local park, she added: “It just touches your heart, you know, sort of faith in humanity. But it’s still shocking.”

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox