Cumbria rampage

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Map of the Whitehaven area

Cumbria rampage means a rampage on June 2, 2010 in several places in the northern English county of Cumbria , which left twelve dead and eleven seriously injured. It ended after about three and a half hours in the suicide of the perpetrator Derrick Bird.

The rampage began at 10 a.m. in Lamplugh and then went through Frizington , Whitehaven , Egremont , Gosforth and Seascale . The shooter was found dead in a forest near Boot three and a half hours later . According to the police, who examined 30 different crime scenes is the worst mass murder since the massacre of Dunblane in 1996, which resulted in the British gun laws were tightened up massively.

Course of action

First phase

Derrick Bird's first victim was his twin brother David Bird, whom he shot dead in Lamplugh . The police assume that the reason could have been a dispute over an inheritance. He then killed Kevin Commons, the family lawyer, in Frizington . At 10:20 a.m. local time, police heard of a shooting by phone while Bird was driving towards Whitehaven in his car .

Second phase

At 10:35 a.m., there was a shooting near a taxi rank in Whitehaven. It was around this time that the first media reports appeared, according to which one person shot wildly, killed several people and injured others. The residents of Whitehaven, Egremont and Seascale were urged by authorities not to go outside and stay indoors.

Third phase

Bird was last seen at 12:30 p.m. Shortly afterwards, the police confirmed that there had been several deaths and that they were looking for the perpetrator. Bird caused an accident with his car near Boot and fled on foot. Two tourists who wanted to rush to his aid after the accident escaped death. At 2 p.m., the police announced that a dead man with a gun had been found in a forest, with a high probability of the perpetrators. In addition, the population received an all-clear.

After the fact

At 3:50 p.m. Prime Minister David Cameron announced in the first Prime Minister's Questions of his term in office that at least five people had been found dead, including the perpetrator. Later that evening, at a press conference in Whitehaven, police announced that twelve people had been shot, another eleven people were injured and that the suspect had judged himself. She also confirmed that two guns had been used and that 30 different crime scenes were being investigated.

Victim and perpetrator

Of the twelve victims, three are from Seascale, two each from Egremont and Wilton and one each from Lamplugh (twin brother of the perpetrator), Frizington (family lawyer), Whitehaven, Carleton and Gosforth. Three of the victims were women and nine were men. The most prominent victim is the former rugby league professional Garry Purdham , the brother of national player Rob Purdham .

Perpetrator Derrick Bird, a divorced 52-year-old father of two, has been described as a popular and quiet man who worked as a self-employed taxi driver. Unconfirmed reports suggest that he sought help from a local hospital because of his fragile state of mind. Bird was in possession of a rifle certificate and a gun license . He is also said to have had disputes with the tax authorities.

Reactions

On the evening of June 2nd, Queen Elizabeth II gave a speech to express her grief and sympathy for the victims. Interior Minister Theresa May praised the work of the emergency organizations; Cabinet met and on June 3, May made a statement in the House of Commons on the Cumbrian incidents. David Cameron and Theresa May visited the crime area on June 4th and met injured victims, authorities and the local population.

The television station ITV suspended an episode of the Coronation Street series because it is about a death in the Lake District close to the crime scenes and an armed siege of a factory. The comedy show You Have Been Watching on Channel Four was also suspended on June 3 , as the special topic of crime was planned on that day. The American singer Lady Gaga had to put up with severe criticism because she did not want to do without the controversial portrayal of a murder scene at her concert in Manchester the evening after the massacre.

During the rampage, the gates of the nearby Sellafield reprocessing plant were closed as a precaution and the afternoon shift was instructed not to come to work. It was the first business interruption in the history of the plant.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Whitehaven Shooting Incident - Latest Updates. Cumbria Constabulary, June 4, 2010, archived from the original June 5, 2010 ; accessed on June 5, 2010 (English).
  2. ↑ a b Cumbria shootings: 12 dead as gunman goes on killing spree. The Guardian , June 3, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Family dispute theory over Cumbria rampage. BBC News , June 3, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  4. ↑ Cumbria shooting: police hunt gunman after 'several shot dead'. The Daily Telegraph , June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  5. ↑ Cumbria gunman Derrick Bird kills at least 12 in rampage. The Times , June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  6. ^ Urgent public message - Shots fired in Whitehaven. webcitation.org, June 2, 2010, archived from the original on June 2, 2010 ; accessed on June 5, 2010 (English).
  7. ↑ Cumbria shootings - as the day unfolded. The Guardian, June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  8. ↑ Cumbria Shootings: Derrick Bird's Victims. Sky News, June 4, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  9. ↑ taxi gunman Derrick Bird goes on killing rampage in Cumbria. The Herald Sun , June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  10. ↑ Gun control and ownership laws in the UK. BBC News, June 3, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  11. ↑ Cumbria shootings: PM meets injured and police officers. BBC News, June 4, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  12. ^ Home Secretary makes statement on events in Cumbria. Home Office (Ministry) , June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  13. ↑ Cumbria shootings: David Cameron meets survivors of Derrick Bird's rampage. The Daily Telegraph, June 4, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  14. ^ Coronation Street taken off air following Cumbria shooting. STV, June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  15. ↑ You Have Been Watching postponed. British Comedy Guide, June 3, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
  16. ↑ Lady Gaga slammed for gory stage show. AOL Music, June 3, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .