Cumbria shootings | |
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Western Cumbria
|
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Location | Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK |
Date | 2 June 2010 10:13 a.m.–12:15 p.m. |
Attack type
|
Spree shooting, murder-suicide |
Weapons |
|
Deaths | 13 (including the perpetrator) |
Non-fatal injuries
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11 |
Perpetrator | Derrick Bird |
Derrick Bird | |
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Born |
Whitehaven, Cumberland, England |
27 November 1957
Died | 2 June 2010 Boot, Cumbria, England |
(aged 52)
Occupation | Taxi driver |
Criminal status | Deceased |
Children | Two sons |
The Cumbria shootings was a killing spree that occurred on 2 June 2010 when a lone gunman, Derrick Bird, killed 12 people and injured 11 others before killing himself in Cumbria, England. Along with the 1987 Hungerford massacre, the 1989 Monkseaton shootings, and the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, it is one of the worst criminal acts involving firearms in British history.
The series of attacks began in mid-morning in Lamplugh and moved to Frizington, Whitehaven, Egremont, Gosforth, and Seascale, sparking a major manhunt by the Cumbria Constabulary, with assistance from Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.
Bird, a 52-year-old local taxi driver, was later found dead in a wooded area, having abandoned his vehicle in the village of Boot. Two weapons that appeared to have been used in the shootings were recovered. A total of 30 different crime scenes were investigated. The event was the most deadly shooting incident in the UK since the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, which left 18 people dead.
Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to the victims, and the Prince of Wales later visited Whitehaven in the wake of the tragedy. Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May also visited West Cumbria. A memorial fund was set up to aid victims and affected communities.
In the early hours of 2 June, Bird left his home in Rowrah and drove his Citroën Xsara Picasso to his twin brother David's home in Lamplugh, where Bird shot David 11 times in the head and body with a .22 rifle, killing him.