A 35-year-old father who was shot dead at a house in West Lothian has been named locally as Billy Watson, as a major police investigation continues.
Emergency services were called to an address in Harestanes Road, Armadale, at around 11.50am on Saturday 12 September following reports of an injured man.
Billy was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.
An air ambulance was also deployed as emergency crews descended on the residential area.
Major search for evidence
Specialist police teams have been searching gardens and bins, while officers have carried out door-to-door enquiries and sought CCTV footage from residents.
A forensic officer was also seen using a metal detector near the property, while a police dog searched beneath vehicles and in gardens.
Police Scotland has confirmed that one line of enquiry is that a firearm was involved in Billy’s death.
Reports that four masked men entered the property before two gunshots were heard have not been confirmed by police.
Burned-out car investigated
Around ten minutes after the fatal incident, a vehicle was found on fire in the nearby Netherhouses area.
Police Scotland said the fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and nobody was reported injured.
Detectives are keeping an open mind but are investigating the vehicle fire and Billy’s death as potentially linked.
‘Our thoughts are with the family’
Detective Superintendent Michelle Findlay, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigations Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died in this incident.”
She said officers remained in the area and urged anyone with information to speak to police.
Anyone who can assist the investigation should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1361 of Saturday 12 September 2026.
