13 August 2021

Timeline of deadly Plymouth shootings

13 August 2021

Gunman Jake Davison killed five people including a three-year-old girl before turning the weapon on himself in a mass shooting that lasted less than 10 minutes.

Here are the details behind how the killings in Keyham Plymouth, unfolded.

– Residents in the Keyham area of Plymouth hear gunshots on Thursday evening leading to multiple calls to alert the police.

– Devon and Cornwall Police receive reports of a “serious firearms incident” in Biddick Drive, Keyham, at around 6.11pm.

Forensic officers in Biddick Drive in the Keyham area of Plymouth (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

– Armed and unarmed officers arrive at the scene within six minutes and discover the dead bodies of a woman, two men and a young girl, as well as the gunman at the scene. Police say it is not terror-related and they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.

– Jake Davison, 22, had shot and killed his mother Maxine Davison, 51, also known as Maxine Chapman, at a house in Biddick Drive.

– He then went outside into the street and shot dead Sophie Martyn, aged three, and her father Lee Martyn, aged 43.

– Davison moved along Biddick Drive, where he aimed and shot at two local residents – a man aged 33 and a 53-year-old woman who are known to each other. They suffered significant injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

– Davison then killed Stephen Washington, 59, in a nearby park, before shooting Kate Shepherd, 66, on Henderson Place.

– Davison is reported as dead at 6.23pm, police said.

Police activity in Biddick Drive in the Keyham area of Plymouth (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

– Ms Shepherd, who was treated at the scene for gunshot wounds, died later at Derriford Hospital.

– There is no official confirmation of the number of victims by 9pm as Plymouth MP Luke Pollard tweets that “this looks like a very grim day for our city and our community”.

– By 9.34pm police say that a critical incident has been declared as they only officially state there have been a “number of fatalities” and several other casualties who are receiving treatment. The area is cordoned off and police believe the situation is “contained”.

They appeal to the public not to speculate or share pictures of the scene on social media or anywhere else.

– All of the next of kin of those who died in Keyham have been found and informed by Devon and Cornwall Police officers by the early hours of Friday.

The area stays cordoned off as investigations continue, and disruption to the road network in Keyham remains throughout the night as police repeat their call for the public not to post online images of the aftermath to respect those families who have lost loved ones.

– The gunman is named locally on Friday morning as Jake Davison, 22, who lives in the area.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer during a press conference outside a police station in Plymouth (Rod Minchin/PA) (PA Wire)

– At a lunchtime press conference in Plymouth on Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer confirms that Davison is the gunman and he is among the six fatalities of the Keyham shootings.

Davison is a licensed firearms user. Police cannot say if the weapon he used during the shooting was legally held.

– Home Secretary Priti Patel later says Davison’s online activity and the firearm he used during the shooting were being looked into as part of the investigation. It was found that Davison had discussed the misogynistic “incel” movement online and had “liked” a series of videos about guns on social media.

– Devon and Cornwall Police later confirm they have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog, which is set to look into the circumstances surrounding the legality of the firearm used by Davison.

– Police are investigating 13 scenes within the cordon in Keyham which is expected to remain in place throughout much of the weekend.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox