Impact of Plymouth shooting reverberates as far north as Shetland

THERE is a strong Shetland link to the tragic events in Plymouth, as a number of close family members of the offender live locally – while one of the victims formerly resided in the isles.

Six people were left dead on Thursday evening when 22-year-old Jake Davison opened fire at an address in the city’s Biddick Drive, killing his own mother Maxine Davison (51), before shooting four more people outside the house and then turning the gun on himself.

Police were at the scene of the shooting within six minutes but were unable to intervene.

The other victims were three year old Sophie Martyn, her 43-year old father Lee Martyn, as well as 59-year old Stephen Washington and a 66-year old Kate Shephard. Two people were wounded in the shooting.

The tragedy has been described as one of the worst mass shootings in the UK.

Davison was a licensed firearms holder and Devon and Cornwall Police have said that the firearm that they believe was used in the shooting was legally held by the offender.

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His mother Maxine was born in Plymouth but spent long periods of her childhood in Shetland, and lived in Bixter and Lerwick until the late 1990s when she moved with her own family back to Plymouth, where Jake was born.

There are number of brothers and sisters to Maxine – and indeed aunts and uncles to Jake – living in Shetland.

No one was available for comment locally on Friday.

Devon and Cornwall Police are continuing with their investigation into the circumstances of the shooting.

The force’s chief constable Shaun Sawyer said: “We believe we have an incident that is domestically related, that has spilled into the street and seen several people in Plymouth losing their lives in extraordinarily tragic circumstances.”