SEPTEMBER
2012 - New Incidents
GCN compiles
an on-going list of incidents involving guns. Click on the
link to view the original article.
We know that
our information is incomplete. The number of incidents in our lists is
between 10 and 15 percent of the total number of firearms offences recorded
in Home Office and Scottish Government figures, though we believe nearly all
of the most serious crimes are being included. Your help in collecting
more information would be greatly appreciated. If you have any
information about an incident please contact us by email
contact@gun-control-network.org.
Please see
our explanation of
why we highlight incidents involving air weapons.
Quick jump to
Injuries (England),
Incidents Causing
Fear
(England),
Other Incidents
(England),
Scotland,
Wales,
Incidents Involving Animals
ENGLAND
Deaths
Daily Mail,
20
September 2012
Two female police
officers, aged 23 and 32, were killed while working in Hattersley,
Greater Manchester. The unarmed officers were allegedly tricked into
going to the property by false reports of a burglary where they were met
with a grenade and gun attack. A 50k-volt
taser was recovered from the scene which the victims may have
attempted to discharge to stop the attack. A man who had been wanted for
two previous shooting murders of a father and son and 4 attempted murders
(see
August Incidents),
presented himself for arrest at a police station in the city soon after
the incident. A
15-year-old boy was later arrested at a school in the area on suspicion
of assisting in the attack but has been released on bail (Metro,
22 September 2012). The weapons used are alleged to have come from a
cache smuggled from the US in 2011 (ITV
News, 20 September 2012).
Southend Standard,
7
September 2012
A mother and son
have been found shot dead at the woman's home in Crays Hill,
Essex. The son is thought to have been battling a heroin addiction and
police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.
An unlicensed gun was recovered from the property.
Injuries
Bradford Telegraph and Argus,
27 September
2012
Five men have been
arrested after an incident in Great Horton, West Yorkshire in
which a gun was fired. A group of about 20 men beat each other with
metal bars and sticks and a masked man was reported to have fired a
number of shots into three cars parked in the area. Two men were treated in
hospital for minor injuries and arrested along with three others, but
the gunman is not believed to be among them.
The Star,
22 September
2012
A 42-year old man
has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after he was
shot at point blank range at his home in Wath-upon-Dearne, West
Yorkshire. He was shot in the upper body after he opened his door
to the gunman and was given first aid before being taken to hospital.
BBC News,
21 September
2012
A 62-year-old man
was shot three times and hit with four baton rounds during a six-hour
stand-off with police in Seaford, Sussex. Negotiations
with the man, who was allegedly armed with a
shotgun, began after his wife reported a domestic incident to
police. He was taken to hospital and treated for two gunshot wounds to
the torso and one to his leg and was reported to be in 'stable but
critical' condition. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has
begun an investigation into the incident in which two officers suffered
minor injuries but were not shot.
Cambs Times 24,
17 September
2012
Police have
appealed for information after three men in their 50s were injured with what
is believed to be a shotgun at a
travellers' site in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Two of the
victims are in critical condition having sustained wounds, one to the abdomen and thigh and
the other to his back and arm. The other man was also taken to
hospital with minor leg injuries to his leg after all three were shot by
someone who is believed to have travelled to and from the site in a
vehicle. Two men were later charged with causing grievous bodily harm,
and wounding with intent and possession of a firearm respectively (BBC
News, 26 November
2012).
Blackpool
Gazette, 17
September 2012
Three shots were
fired at two people in a house in Thornton, Lancashire. Police
were called after a man was injured by glass broken by the gunfire. A
man who fled the scene in a car has been arrested and charged with
possession of a shotgun with intent
to cause fear of violence and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
MK News,
16 September
2012
Three men have
allegedly been shot in the legs in Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire. The Deputy Commander of the police area reported that
the "men suffered minor injuries from what we believe to be an
air weapon or
BB gun" and appealed for information.
Shropshire Star,
15
September 2012
A 55-year old
construction worker has been shot in the arm with an
airgun while operating a digger in
Telford, Shropshire. The weapon was allegedly fired multiple times
in the area and police have appealed for information. The man received
hospital treatment to remove the pellet.
Surrey Comet,
14
September 2012
A female post
office worker was allegedly assaulted during an armed robbery in
Surbiton, south west London. Two men, who were believed to have a
gun, beat up the victim who was taken to hospital for treatment of minor
injuries.
The Bolton News,
13 September
2012
Three men have
attacked a teenage couple with a gun in Bury, Greater Manchester.
One of the group pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the male
victim's head and asked for money before hitting him in the head with
the weapon. The men then beat up the 18- and 16-year-old before escaping
on foot. Police are investigating whether this incident is connected to
an attack on two women by an armed group in the area the following day.
North-West Evening Mail,
11 September
2012
Three men were
arrested on suspicion of assault, burglary and supplying drugs in
Ulverston, Cumbria. Armed officers arrested the men who had
allegedly been to a number of properties in the town armed with gun.
Police discovered a man and a woman who had sustained minor injuries and
recovered handcuffs and a large amount of cash from a vehicle they
stopped in the area. The men have been bailed.
BBC News,
8 September
2012
An
18-year-old male has reported to hospital with gunshot wounds after
reports of shots fired in Liverpool. The victim is said to be in
'critical condition' after what police believe was a targeted attack.
The Sentinel,
5 September
2012
Two young
girls - aged five and eight - have been shot with a BB
gun while playing outside in Newcastle-under-Lyme,
Staffordshire. One was hit in the chest and the other was shot in the
back. They sustained blisters but did not require medical treatment. The
shots are believed to have come from the supported housing complex for
vulnerable people nearby.
The Sentinel,
5 September
2012
A
19-year-old man has been shot in the eye with an
air rifle in an incident a house in
Alsager, Staffordshire. A man was arrested on suspicion of assault,
and an 18-year-old man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of
perverting the course of justice by removing the firearm. All three were
later bailed but the victim was reported to still be in 'critical
condition'.
ITV News,
2 September
2012
Officers
have arrested six people after a man reported using a
legally-held
shotgun to fire at alleged burglars
at his property in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Two men
sustained shotgun wounds which were reported not to be life-threatening
and four people were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary. A couple
were also arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm but the
Crown Prosecution Service later confirmed neither would not be charged
as they had 'acted in reasonable self defence' (Sky
News,
6
September 2012).
INCIDENTS CAUSING FEAR
Coventry Telegraph,
27 September
2012
Two armed men have
robbed a man and a bookmakers in two attacks in Coventry, West
Midlands. The pair allegedly threatened a man with a handgun and escaped
with his bag before threatening staff at a bookmakers with the gun and
escaping with cash. No one is reported to have been injured.
Bury Times,
27 September
2012
Two robbers armed
with a gun threatened a worker at a post office in Bury, Greater
Manchester. The victim was ordered to open the safe as one of the men held
what was described as a silver handgun to his head. He was able to sound
the alarm as the robbers smashed through glass to search behind the
counter before fleeing with a small amount of cash.
The Star,
26 September
2012
A group of at least
two masked men reportedly robbed a shop in Kilnhurst, South
Yorkshire. They used what appeared to be a silver revolver to threaten the
shopkeeper who fought them off with a large wooden pole. The robbers
discharged the weapon several times before fleeing in a stolen car with a
lottery machine containing cash.
BBC News,
26 September
2012
A man has been
arrested after allegedly brandishing an air rifle
during a domestic incident at his home in Plympton, Devon. Police
were called after the man's mother reported that he was ransacking the
property and had a "long-barrelled firearm". During negotiations at least
four shots were said to have been fired and a TV and microwave thrown at
officers, but no was injured.
Oxford Mail,
26 September
2012
Staff on reception
at the Town Hall in Oxford were subject to gun threats by a man who
opposed Council plans for a new development of flats in the city. No
arrests have been made but police were stationed outside the building at a
subsequent meeting at which councillors discussed the proposals.
Liverpool Echo,
25 September
2012
An 18-year-old man
has been arrested after shots were fired at a property in Norris Green,
Liverpool. The house was empty when bullets were shot through three of
its windows, and no one was injured. Two men were seen on a scooter in the
area and police have begun a search for a second suspect.
Evening Chronicle,
25 September
2012
A shop assistant
was threatened by a masked robber with a gun at a convenience store in
Stanley, County Durham. He pointed the pistol at her head and demanded
cash from the till before escaping with £100. The victim was shaken but
unhurt in the incident that was caught on CCTV.
Express &
Star, 20
September 2012
Two men were
arrested after reports of a firearm being brandished in an argument
between neighbours in Dudley, West Midlands. Police recovered a
cannabis grinder which they said looked like a gun and 52 cannabis
plants from a property, and arrested one man on suspicion of firearms
offences and another on suspicion of public order offences.
BBC News,
18
September 2012
A balaclava-clad
robber allegedly threatened staff at a petrol station in Fraddon,
Cornwall with a handgun. Armed police began a search for the man after
he stole scratch cards from workers at the garage who were shaken but
unhurt.
Kent Online, 18
September 2012
A man who claimed
he had a gun has been taken to hospital after a stand-off with officers
at his home in Greatstone, Kent. Ambulance workers who were
attending to the distressed man called armed police who were able to
gain access to the property after 90 minutes of negotiations.
News & Star,
18
September 2012
A 52-year-old man
was arrested by police after they received reports of a man with a gun
who had threatened construction workers near his home in Whitehaven,
Cumbria. Armed officers found an air rifle
at the scene.
Daily Gazette, 16
September 2012
Two shots were
fired in an alleged drive by shooting at a bar in the centre of
Colchester, Essex. Police found damage to the wall of the bar
believed to be caused by three gunshots fired close to a security guard
working at the bar. An abandoned vehicle was recovered in the area but
no weapon was recovered. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of
attempted murder and possession of a firearm, and one of the men has
also been charged with causing criminal damage while in custody.
The Bolton News,
13 September
2012
Two women were
robbed at gunpoint in Bury, Greater Manchester. The
victims were attacked from behind by a group who held what was believed
to be a handgun to one woman's head and stole her handbag before
escaping on foot. Police are investigating whether this incident is
connected to an attack on a couple by an armed group in the area the
previous day.
Bournemouth Echo,
13 September
2012
Six members of
staff at a jeweller's in a busy shopping centre in Broadstone,
Dorset were threatened by armed robbers. A group wearing
balaclavas and armed with a gun smashed display cabinets with two
hammers and fled with jewellery. Police believe that four people
conducted the raid but that five people left the scene in a getaway car,
which was abandoned when the group transferred to another vehicle. Staff
were shaken but unhurt.
This is Lincolnshire,
12 September
2012
An armed man has
threatened staff at a bank in Spilsby, Lincolnshire. He used what
was believed to be a gun to demand money from staff. He was unsuccessful
and fled but was caught on CCTV.
The Sun,
9 September
2012
Police were
called by members of the public after gunshots were heard in the village
of Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire. Officers found out that the sounds
had been produced by movie studios in the area during rehearsals for a
new film.
The Journal,
8 September
2012
Three robbers
have stolen two legally-held shotguns,
ammunition and cash from a cottage in the hamlet of Hexham,
Northumberland. The group broke into the cottage armed with baseball and
wearing balaclavas while a female resident was home alone. The robbers
escaped in a car stolen from the property, which was later abandoned.
Northumberland Police Commissioner Phil Butler and local MP Guy Opperman
have called for more to be done to address non-metropolitan crime.
Western Gazette,
6 September
2012
An
airgun was fired into the garden of a
home in Yeovil, Dorset and hit the trampoline on which two young
boys were playing. The boys were uninjured and police are investigating.
The Sentinel,
5 September
2012
Three
teenagers were threatened by a group of armed robbers in
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Three men wearing balaclavas and
gloves forced the victims to get out of their car and hand over cash and
mobile phones using a silver handgun and a knife. The victims were
shaken but unhurt.
Other Incidents
Herald
Express, 27
September 2012
Police were
called after a group of men were reported to be in possession of a
firearm while driving in Newton Abbott, Devon. Two
imitation plastic toy guns were
recovered and the men were cautioned.
Daily Mail, 26
September 2012
A replica cannon
with a fully-firing mechanism has been seized by police in the West
Midlands. The firearm was discovered during a routine police
operation and has been destroyed.
Medway Messenger, 26
September 2012
A man has been
arrested after armed police were called to a pub in Chatham,
Kent. The man was believed to have been carrying a firearm but no gun
has been found.
Enfield Independent,
23
September 2012
Police have
discovered three handguns, a loaded shotgun
and cartridges and a taser during a
crackdown on drug-related offences throughout London. Recent
Operation Hawk raids across the city have led to hundreds of arrests;
the seizure of more than £2.6 million worth of cannabis, large
quantities of heroin and other class A drugs, and cash; and the closure
of 37 cannabis factories. It later emerged that a
BB gun was also found during the raids (News
Shopper, 25
September 2012).
Birmingham Mail, 22
September 2012
A deactivated
WWII rifle and grenade have been found by police in Walsall, West
Midlands. An inquiry was begun into the alleged contravention of force
policy by a sergeant who posted photos and details of the weapons on
social networking site Twitter.
ITV News,
20
September 2012
Shots were fired
at a property in Fazakerley, Liverpool. Police identified
damage to the front window of the house which appeared to have been
caused by a firearm and arrested a man on suspicion of possessing a
firearm with intent to endanger life. No one was injured.
Yate People,
20 September
2012
A 36-year-old man
was arrested and charged with two burglaries at non-domestic premises in
Coalpit Heath, South Gloucestershire from which he stole charity
boxes, money, tools and an air rifle.
The Docklands & East London
Advertiser,
18
September 2012
Police have found
a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition hidden in a bag under a brick in
a residential area in Hackney, east London. Trident North East
Shootings team are investigating and have appealed for information.
The Observer,
16 September
2012
A National
Opinion Polls survey commissioned by Animal Aid has found that 84% of
people would support a ban on the sale of gun publications to under-18s
and 74% favour confining them to display on newsagents' top shelves. The
group are campaigning to limit access to magazines which show animals
being killed for sport. The British Association for Shooting and
Conservation, the biggest shooting group in the UK, has spoken out
against moves to restrict the sale of such publications.
Bradford Telegraph and Argus,
14 September
2012
Police have
arrested a man in an investigation into guns found in Bradford,
West Yorkshire. He is charged with possession of a
sawn-off shotgun and a semi-automatic
sawn-off gun, and possession with intent to supply of crack, heroin and
crack cocaine. The weapons and drugs were discovered in Operation
Sabredale police raids in July in which 38 others were arrested (see
July incidents).
The Week,
6 September
2012
A 27-year-old man
has been arrested after a group of youths reported to police that he had
been carrying a spud gun, an air weapon that fires a pellet of potato,
on a train in Kent. The wannabe James Bond was accused of
possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear.
BBC News,
4 September
2012
Three people aged
20-22 have been arrested after police recovered a gun and ammunition, a
large amount of cannabis and a suspected dangerous dog from a property
in Walton, Merseyside. The search took place after police
stopped a man for smoking cannabis in the street outside the house.
Leighton Buzzard Observer,
4 September
2012
Police were
called after a alleged sighting of a man entering a house in Linslade,
Bedfordshire armed with a gun.
Western Morning News,
1 September
2012
Police have
issued a warning after an officer misplaced a
taser cartridge in East Devon. The public have been
asked to contact the police if they find the cartridge.
SCOTLAND
STV,
20 September
2012
A 29-year-old man
has reportedly been shot in the head with an
airgun in Rosemarkie, Ross and Cromarty. He was been
treated for his injuries in two different hospitals and reported to be
critically ill. A 17-year-old is said to have been reported to the
procurator fiscal for prosecution.
STV,
19 September
2012
A masked robber
threatened the driver of a Royal Mail van with a firearm in Glasgow.
He used what appeared to be a handgun to demand cash from the security
officer before escaping on foot. A burnt out vehicle was found nearby
which police believe may be connected to the incident.
BBC News,
15 September
2012
Two men have
carried out an armed robbery at a bookmakers in the busy town centre of
Paisley, Renfrewshire. A man who appeared to be carrying a
firearm and another armed with a bladed object threatened staff before
escaping with hundreds of pounds cash. No one was injured.
Evening Times,
14 September
2012
A man was shot
near the train station in Wishaw, Lanarkshire. He was treated in
hospital for his injuries and was reported to be in 'a stable
condition'. Two men have been arrested and charged with attempted
murder. One of the men was later also accused of attempting to defeat
the ends of justice after it emerged that he may have threatened two
people to prevent them from disclosing information about the shooting (BBC
News,
4 January 2013).
Selkirk Weekend Advertiser,
14 September
2012
An person risked
being injured after they walked into the line of fire of shooters during
a competition in Selkirk, Scottish Borders. A spokesman from the
rifle club who organised the Hogg Cup warned the public that, “The
bullets from these rifles do not stop when they hit the paper... They
continue into the hillside which you are about to walk on.”
BBC News,
13 September
2012
Vehicles have
been damaged in four separate incidents of vandalism in Culloden,
Inverness with what police believe to be an air
gun.
Daily Record,
10 September
2012
The twin brother
of a convicted rapist has been assaulted by armed gunmen in
Midlothian. The gang attempted to abduct the victim with what was
believed to be a shotgun in the
presence of his wife and mother until he was able to show his
identification. The victim had previously had his house petrol-bombed,
been beaten up, and had to move because of vigilante attacks aimed at
his brother.
STV,
7 September
2012
A number of
Airsoft imitation firearm rifles,
four motorbikes with kit, and some cameras all worth around £30,000 have
been stolen from a garage in Philpstoun, West Lothian. Police are
appealing for witnesses and information.
WALES
Daily Post,
20 September
2012
Armed police were
called when a man shut himself inside a property near Bangor,
Gwynedd. Armed officers arrested a man after a five-hour siege in which
no one is reported to have been injured.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News,
27 September
2012
A cat has
been shot through the abdomen with an airgun
in Runcorn, Cheshire. The four-year-old required an operation to fix
tears to his bowel, liver and diaphragm, during which two pellets from
previous shootings were discovered lodged in his stomach. Another cat in
the family was shot and killed with an airgun three years ago.
Redbridge News,
27 September
2012
A cat was
injured with an airgun in
Wanstead, east London
after residents heard shots being fired in the area. The six-year-old
pet survived the incident.
Express & Star,
22 September
2012
A
three-year-old cat was shot in the abdomen with an
air rifle in Hednesford, Staffordshire. He was said to
be in 'critical condition' after the pellet damaged his intestine and
lodged in his knee.
Cambridge News,
13 September
2012
A cat was
shot twice with an air rifle in
Coveney, Cambridgeshire. The three-year-old pet survived the attack but
one of the pellets lodged in her chest and she required surgery.
Herne Bay Times,
13 September
2012
A cat has
died after it was shot in the leg and back with an
airgun in Herne Bay, Kent. He
was also targeted in an incident six months earlier in which another car
was killed by being shot with an airgun. As a result of both attacks, he
was left with four pellets in his body and a broken leg and had to be
put down. A few days later another cat was shot in the area, but
survived the incident.
This is Hull and East Riding,
13 September
2012
An
11-year-old cat has been shot dead in the village of Brough, East
Yorkshire with a shotgun. The bullet
shattered his leg and he had to be put down because the injury was
inoperable.
Knutsford Guardian,
12 September
2012
An
eight-year-old cat has been shot with an air rifle
in Knutsford, Cheshire. His front leg had to be amputated after
the pellet shattered the bone.
Surrey Comet,
10 September
2012
A cat who
was five-weeks pregnant was shot twice with a high-powered
air rifle in Mitcham, south
west London. Vets were unable to remove the pellets from the one-year-old
due to the risk to her unborn kittens.
Stourbridge News,
6 September
2012
Two cats
have been injured in separate airgun
shootings in the area of Stourbridge, West Midlands. An
18-month-year-old was shot through her intestine and required emergency
surgery. A six-year-old cat was left with a pellet lodged near his heart
which was too expensive and dangerous to remove. His owner has begun a
petition calling for a system of registration for air weapons:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38193.
Staffordshire Newsletter,
2 September
2012
An owl was
found with lead poisoning after being shot with either an
airgun or a BB
gun near Cannock, Staffordshire. The bird required an
operation to remove her eye and will have to be hand-fed for the rest of
her life.
