Deadly Plymouth Rampage: Shooter’s Dark Online Past Revealed
The brutal shooting spree in Plymouth has left five dead and two injured. Police are piecing together the chilling background of gunman Jake Davison, 22.
Gun Licence and Weapon Details Under Scrutiny
Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer confirmed Davison held a firearms licence in 2020. But it’s not clear if it covered the weapon he used—a pump-action shotgun, police say. Officers recovered a firearm but haven’t confirmed it’s the same gun.
Victims Named and Timeline of Horror
- Davison first murdered a 51-year-old woman known to him at a home on Biddick Drive.
- He then killed a three-year-old girl and her 43-year-old male relative outside the house.
- Two others, a 33-year-old man and 53-year-old woman, were shot and are in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
- Davison moved to nearby parkland, shooting a 59-year-old man who died on the spot.
- Finally, a 66-year-old woman was shot in Henderson Place and later died in hospital.
Police arrived six minutes after shots rang out. While terrorism isn’t the main focus, investigators keep an “open mind,” Sawyer said.
Dark Online Rants Link Shooter to Toxic ‘Incel’ Culture
Davison posted videos online where he spoke of feeling “beaten down” and “defeated by life”. In one July 28 clip, he lamented having no “willpower to do anything any more” and touched on the misogynistic “incel” (involuntarily celibate) movement.
Though he never outright called himself an “incel”, Davison said “people similar to me have had nothing but themselves.” Earlier posts from 2018 reveal he admired Donald Trump and supported the UK Libertarian party.
Prime Minister Voices Condolences
Boris Johnson tweeted: “My thoughts are with the friends and family of those who lost their lives and with all those affected by the tragic incident in Plymouth last night. I thank the emergency services for their response.”
