In what is usually (and unfortunately) an event that is associated with the US, a man in Cumbria in the north of England has gone on a mass shooting spree and killed 4 people, wounded 25, then killed himself.
Details are still sketchy and coming in but apparently taxi driver Derrick Bird, 52, of Cumbria drove around several villages in the Lake District area of north England shooting people at random.
The Guardian has a good minute by minute timeline of what happened. One of the victims appears to be a co-worker. Another seems to be a farmer with two young children. Details on the others don't seem to be available at this time.
At this point there are no details on what kind of weapon was used. As Britain has very strict handgun laws speculation is going in the direction of a shotgun which are more easily obtainable for hunting/gamekeeping purposes.
Sorry for the thinness of this diary, but I will update as more facts become available.
UPDATE 1: As has been mentioned in the comments, The Guardian now confirms 13 dead including the shooter.
5.30pm:
Thirteen bodies have been recovered, including that of Derrick Bird.
5.25pm:
Twelve people have been killed, police revealed
"This has shocked the people of Cumbria," Stuart Hyde, deputy chief constable of Cumbria told a news conference. There are more than 30 crime scenes, he said.
Crimes like this are bad enough but to happen in relatively small villages in a rural area it is particularly shocking. Everyone in the area is going to either be related to or personally know one of the victims.
UPDATE 2: The Times is quoting witnesses as stating that Bird was using either a shotgun or a rifle.
17.05 BST Several witnesses say Bird was shooting his victims with a shotgun, but others specifically describe a rifle. He is said to have been a shooting enthusiast, so it’s possible he had more than one weapon.