Haatu Posted June 2, 2010 A number of people have been killed and others injured after a gunman opened fire in several areas of west Cumbria. Police say a body, believed to be that of the suspect Derrick Bird, has been found in the Boot area of the Lake District. The first reported fatal shooting was in Whitehaven at 1035 BST, after which the gunman fled east. A GP in the town of Seascale said he and a colleague had certified two other people dead. BBC Look North Chief Reporter Chris Stewart said a farmer is believed to have been killed in the Gosforth area. A major incident has been declared at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. The Accident and Emergency department at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle is also on full incident stand-by, the hospital trust said. Detectives said Derrick Bird drove into the central Lakes in a Citroen Picasso before abandoning it in the Boot area. People who live nearby were urged to stay indoors for their own protection. Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde, speaking in Duke Street, Whitehaven, where the first body was found, said: "I can confirm that we've found a body in a wooded area near Boot which we believe to be Mr Bird, together with a firearm. "A formal identification will be made later." Eyewitness Peter Watson said he had seen the body lying in the road in Duke Street. "When I first got here it must have just happened. There was a man lying on the ground with police stood over him and a jacket on him," he said. A Cumbria Police spokesman added: "We can confirm that a number of people have been injured after shots were fired in the Whitehaven, Seascale and Egremont areas this morning. "There are a number of fatalities and police are working to identify the individuals and inform relatives. Ambulance crews are in attendance across the area." The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in west Cumbria closed its gates as a safety precaution and afternoon shift workers were being told to stay away, though the site has since reopened. Helicopters were brought in from other forces to help in the hunt for Derrick Bird. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chubacka Posted June 2, 2010 latest count is 12 ppl dead. How v. random and scary. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Archdemos Posted June 3, 2010 this fella must have had an axe to grind. thats the only reason i can think of, for a possible explanation for this madness. why did it take so long for this man to be apprehended. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
