River Thames Locked Down as Police Hunt Murder Suspect After Shocking Knockholt Shooting
Woman Shot Dead Outside Knockholt Pub
Kent Police were called just after 7pm on Valentine’s Day, February 14, following reports of a violent disturbance outside The Three Horseshoes pub on Main Road, Knockholt. Officers and paramedics arrived to find a woman in her 40s suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. Despite urgent efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim has been named as Lisa Smith, 43, from Slough. Police are yet to complete formal identification.
Murder Suspect ‘Falls From Queen Elizabeth II Bridge’
Investigators traced a vehicle and firearm connected to the shooting near the Dartford Crossing. Witnesses reported seeing a man – believed to be the suspect and known to the victim – dangerously positioned on the wrong side of the bridge’s barrier. Fears quickly grew that he fell into the River Thames below.
Kent Police confirm specialist search teams are scouring the river alongside HM Coastguard and Gravesend lifeboat crews to locate the suspect believed lost in the water.
Ongoing Murder Investigation and Public Appeal
The probe into this brutal killing is active and ongoing. Detectives are piecing together the events that led up to the nightmare in Knockholt. Police urge anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area on the evening of February 14 to come forward immediately.
“We are conducting thorough searches of the River Thames to locate the suspect,” said a Kent Police spokesperson. “There is no ongoing risk to the public, and specialist officers are supporting the families involved.”
Witnesses or anyone with information should contact Kent Police on 101, quoting reference 14-0751.