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Plymouth still feels pain on 5th anniversary of shootings which left five dead including girl, 3

On August 12, 2021, Jake Davison shot and killed five people in Plymouth, including a three-year-old girl, before turning the gun on himself, in what was the UK's worst mass shooting in a decade

[Floral tributes next to road sign that reads: Biddick Drive]

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Flowers were left at the scene of the first shooting in Plymouth(Image: wayne Perry)

It was the UK's worst mass shooting in a decade - and reverberations went far beyond the quiet suburb left shattered by the atrocity.

Just after 6pm exactly five years ago, 22-year-old Jake Davison shot and killed five people, including a three-year-old girl, before turning the gun on himself.

Few can have been more closely exposed to the tragedy than the woman who was at home when Davison turned the gun on himself on her street in the Keyham neighbourhood of Plymouth.

Michelle, 47, who asked not to give her surname, said: Me and the kids saw his [Davisons] feet hanging out the bottom of the blanket, and had police tape outside our gate. It just kept going through my mind and made me physically sick.

[Lady in salmon pink vest and scraped back hair]

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The gunman shot himself near Michelle's home

I didnt see it happen but I couldnt get that vision out of my head I couldnt leave the house for weeks. And theres still a lot of trauma when we hear helicopters, which happens quite often in Keyham, you think oh my god whats this? Is it going to be the same again?

Davison, an apprentice crane operator, began his fatal spree by shooting his mum, Maxine Chapman, 51, in the home they shared on Biddick Drive.

He then went into the street and killed locals three-year-old Sophie Martyn and her dad Lee Martyn, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66. He also shot two others who survived. After being confronted by an unarmed officer, he then turned the gun on himself.

Another local, Christine Lamb, remembers the day vividly too. She said: I was walking the dog with a friend when we heard gun shots. I went inside to tell my husband, and then all of a sudden the house started shaking and helicopters began landing on the field near the house.

"He came down the top of our street, but he could easily have come down the bottom because wed seen him there before. Its scary to think what could have happened.

[Woman with bob and patterned short-sleeve blouse]

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Christine Lamb was walking her dog with a friend when they heard the gunshots

Michelle, who runs a local food bank, said she and the community were trying to focus on the future. "We try not to talk about it, because it was one of the worst days in Keyham now were just trying to get on with our lives. But it will never be out of our minds. Well never forget it, its horrible to relive.

At the heart of helping locals heal is Keyham Green Places, a charity community centre and gardens. In the aftermath of the attack, locals could access counselling and support services at the hub, or simply enjoy the peace of the gardens and allotment. And five years on, many residents, including some of the bereaved families, still attend youth groups and craft workshops at the centre.

Paul Keller, the charitys community development manager, said: At the time [of the shooting], we were open, like we are now, to anybody. People could just walk in. This is a peaceful place where people can come and relax and feel a bit safer.

[Community centre building]

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Keyham Green Places has helped the community heal

Another local, Jennifer Eldridge, chair of the charitys trustees, said: It was a neutral, welcoming space and they didnt have to talk about it if they didnt want to. A lot of people were trying to fix them, but many didnt feel ready to be fixed yet. We just accepted them as they were.

Many are still reeling from the events of August 12, 2021, and today the centre continues to act as a supportive life line. Jennifer continued: People know we care. Everyone who comes says what a lovely, welcoming space it is. We are very accepting of people, wherever they are. We try to support whatever needs they have.

[Man in hat and short-sleeve shirt with arms crossed]

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The charity's Paul Keller supported families in the aftermath of the attack

Paul added: The motto we try to live by now is keep on keeping on. Its still there, you dont forget. But youve got to remember how kind people are, too.

"Theres a lot of horrible things going on in the world, but theres also a lot of good. Good can come from the bad, and thats what were trying to do here. Thats how we want people to remember Keyham.

A coroner ruled Davisons five victims were all unlawfully killed, with the inquest jury critical of the failings in Devon and Cornwall Polices licensing unit, which handed Davison back his shotgun five weeks before the killings.

The jury said: There was a catastrophic failure in the management of the firearms and explosives licensing unit, with a lack of managerial supervision, inadequate and ineffective leadership.

[Woman in green dress]

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The charity's Jennifer Eldridge said members of the community enjoy the peace of the gardens

"This was compounded by a lack of senior management and executive leadership who failed to notice or address the issues. There was a lack of scrutiny and professional curiosity at all levels.

The inquest heard how a year before the shooting, Davison was arrested for assaulting two teens after they called him fat. But he was not taken to court and he was instead referred to Pathfinder, a restorative justice programme. His gun, initially taken from him, was returned in July 2021.

[Man and little girl grin]

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Lee Martyn and his daughter Sophie were among the victims(Image: Copyright: Martyn family via Plymouth Live)

The jury found a serious failure at a national level by the government, Home Office, and National College of Policing to implement recommendations made in the wake of the Dunblane massacre in 1996.

This included a failure to provide training for firearms inquiry officers and the subsequent recommendation in Her Majestys Inspectorate of the Constabularys Targeting the Risk Report in 2015 for an accredited training regime for firearms enquiry officers.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog found two employees of Devon and Cornwall Police had a case to answer for misconduct over the way they dealt with Davisons gun licence.

[Davison wearing a light blue top with messy hair and beard]

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Davison's actions have been described as an 'act of pure evil'(Image: PA)

In a statement, the families of Davisons victims said his actions that day were an act of pure evil, which were facilitated and enabled by a series of failings and incompetence from the people and organisations that are supposed to keep us safe.

They said: It is beyond us how Davison, a man with a known history of violence, mental health issues, and with no real need to own a firearm, was granted a licence to possess a gun in the first place. Warning signs were ignored and a licence to kill was granted.

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