5 dead after gunman goes on rampage in UK

[RamboLiberal]

LONDON - British police said they had found the body of a man suspected of killing at least five people in a rampage through towns in and around the scenic Lake District of northwest England on Wednesday.

Prime Minister David Cameron made the statement to British lawmakers about the shootings. "I regret to report that a number of people have been shot and at least five people have died."

The BBC earlier reported that 11 people had been shot during the rampage.

Police in Cumbria, about 350 miles northwest of London, have not released details on the how many people were killed in the incident.

The body of the alleged gunman, 52-year-old Derrick Bird, was found in woods near the Lake District village of Boot. A gun was found alongside the body.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37467424/ns/world_news-europe/

[krispos42]

1. Looks like he drove all over the place, randomly shooting people

Over the course of a couple of hours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/10214661.stm

[Scuba]

2. But, but, but.....

...guns are illegal in GB. That makes this man a criminal.

[Art_from_Ark]

3. Of course the man is (was) a criminal

But he had a shotgun, not a handgun. Shotguns are apparently legal in the UK (primarily for hunting, I would assume)

[TPaine7]

5. I can picture it...

Officer: your daughter (or son or mother or father or wife or husband) was killed in a shooting spree.

Bereaved: was it, was it a... a... a... handgun?

Officer: no, your beloved was killed by a shotgun.

Bereaved: *deep sigh* I feel so much better now.

[Glassunion]

6. I'm sure this lone incident will be the final step in a complete gun ban in the UK.

They are all registered. Just need to run out and pick em up.

[Euromutt]

9. I don't know about that

I'm sure there are people who will call for it, but farmers are going to make the case that they need shotguns for pest control (rabbits, rooks et al.). And unlike after Dunblane, Labour's not in power anymore, and unlike after Hungerford, the Conservatives are leading the coalition on a platform of less "top-down" government.

We'll have to see, I guess.

[Katya Mullethov]

11. They can -say- that they dont like it top down

But they aren't calling it Airship One for nothing .

[Glassunion]

12. Depends on the people as well.

As you said, we shall see...

[blowtorchevans]

19. Too easy

I can picture something too

Officer : You husband has been killed by a bear

Bereaved : Was he bitten to death ?

Officer : No the bear only struck him with it's paw

Bereaved : paw ? hang on a moment - a bear and its arms - Gawd bless America, a right to bear arms. (a stirring tune starts up in the backround)

Officer : Twat

[Euromutt]

8. The shooter reportedly had two weapons

Reportedly a shotgun and a rifle with a scope. Pump-action and semi-auto long guns have been illegal to own privately since 1987 (after Hungerford), so if the shotgun was a single-shot or double-barrel, and the rifle a bolt-action, the shooter could have owned them legally.

[Xela]

18. Latest report: shotgun and .22 caliber rifle

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/10222188.stm

"Two weapons have been seized by police and are being examined by forensic experts. These are a shotgun and a .22 rifle fitted with a telescopic sight."

xela

[Euromutt]

22. A .22? It was supposed to be "a huge sniper rifle"!

Eyewitness Barrie Moss tells the BBC he was cycling home when he saw the gunman beside a car with what looked like "a huge sniper rifle".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/10216179.stm

The "huge sniper rifle" turns out to be .22. It just goes to show that the only qualification needed to be a witness is a willingness to talk to the media; you don't necessarily have to know what you're talking about.

[Endangered Specie]

13. So long as the magazines hold 2 or less and its not semi-auto

you can get one on a shotgun certificate, but even that takes some work.

[krispos42]

4. BBC reporting 12 killed now, 30 seperate crime scenes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/10216179.stm

On a per-capita basis, this is as bas as Virginia Tech. :-(

[TPaine7]

7. This is unpossible!!!!

I have it on good authority that Australia has cracked down on civilian guns and they haven't had a mass shooting since (if you define "mass shooting" as a conveniently moving target).

Britain must make all guns illegal. They should make thinking about guns or speaking the word "gun" illegal. They should make murder illegal, too. Yeah, why didn't anyone think of that earlier?!

Step 1: make murder illegal
Step 2: whirled peas

[Euromutt]

16. As you say, that requires a rather fluid definition of "mass shooting"

Because somehow, the National Firearms Agreement that resulted in the "buy-backs" of 1996-97 were followed by the Monash University shooting in 2002. There were seven people shot in that incident, which sounds like a "mass shooting" to me (where "mass is defined as "four or more"), even if "only" two of them died as a result. It's little details like that which people who assert the effectiveness of Australia's firearm laws tend to overlook.

And what should give the supporters of the UK's and Australia's gun laws pause is the fact that the incidents and resulting legislation have run remarkably parallel:

First, guy goes on a spree shooting with a long gun as his primary weapon (Hungerford and Port Arthur). response: severely restrict private ownership of pump-action and semi-auto long guns. Now we'll have no more mass shootings.

Several years later: guy commits a mass shooting using multiple handguns (Dunblane and Monash University). Response: severely restrict private ownership of handguns. Now we'll have no more mass shootings.

If the pattern continues, Australia will be due for a spree shooting by a guy using a shotgun and a rifle of still-legal variety in the first half next year. (The interval between Australian shootings is ~3/5 of the interval between British ones; thus, the next Australian shooting should occur ~3/5 x 14 years after October 2002, so first half of 2011, ballpark.)

If the pattern continues.

[shadowrider]

10. Ban 52 year old men from the Lake District village of Boot. It's the only way we'll be safe.

[Hoopla Phil]

14. Ban Taxis.

[oneshooter]

15. Proof that Gun control has a positive role in crime prevention! n/t

[Euromutt]

17. Good point; at least two of the victims were also taxi drivers

So if we'd banned taxis, they'd have been all right. And it would prevent Travis Bickle types as well.

[proteus_lives]

20. Gun-control works like gang-busters!

:eyes:

[Xela]

21. WTF - "We shouldn't make any knee-jerk reaction..."

You mean short of complete disarmament? I mean, what else is there left for gun owners in the UK?

Xela


"The prime minister said he would do everything possible to help "mend the hurt" of communities and "to make sure that everything is done to make sure that events like this cannot happen again in our country".

However, he said the UK's rules on firearms ownership were already among the world's toughest.

"We shouldn't make any knee-jerk reaction to think that there is some instant legislative or regulatory answer," he said.

"You can't legislate to stop a switch flicking in someone's head and for this dreadful sort of action to take place," he added."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/10227429.stm