Aug 13, 2021 - World

Rare mass shooting in England kills at least five people

At least five people were killed in Plymouth, England, on Friday in the United Kingdom's worst mass shooting in over a decade, CNN reports.

Why it matters: Mass shootings are a rare occurrence in the U.K., where tight gun laws ban most private gun ownership, per CNN.

Thursday's incident is the deadliest shooting since 2010, when a shooting spree in Cumbria, northern England, killed 12 people.

Driving the news: A 22-year-old suspect was found dead at the scene in Plymouth, per CNN.

The gunman allegedly stopped at multiple locations, where he shot two women and two men, all of whom were found dead at the scene. Another woman died a short time after in the hospital.
At around 6:10pm local time, officers and ambulance staff were called to respond to a "serious firearms incident."
"This was a truly shocking event, and was witnessed by members of the public," Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said.
"Just so unspeakably awful. My condolences and thoughts are with the families," Luke Pollard, the member of parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, wrote in a tweet.