The families of four victims of a mass shooting in Plymouth have said that “warning signs were ignored and a licence to kill was granted” by police. In August 2021, Jake Davison killed his mother and four other people, including a three-year-old girl, with a shotgun. At the conclusion of a five-week inquest at Exeter Racecourse, jurors said the deaths of the victims were “caused by the fact the perpetrator had a legally-held shotgun”. All five of the victims were unlawfully killed.
The families of the victims released a joint statement outside the hearing, saying that the shooting was an “act of pure evil”. They added that this act was enabled by a series of failings and incompetence from the people and organisations responsible for keeping them safe. The jury concluded that there was a “catastrophic failure” at Devon and Cornwall Police, as well as a “lack of scrutiny and professional curiosity at all levels” and an “unsafe culture of defaulting to granting licences and returning licences after review”.
The inquest heard evidence from more than 50 witnesses, including details about Davison’s application for a shotgun certificate in July 2017. He had declared his autism and Asperger’s but when police sought relevant information from his GP, the doctor declined to provide any as it was not mandatory.
The families of the victims have called for an independent inquiry into the police’s handling of the case. They said that if the police had taken appropriate action, their loved ones would still be alive. The inquest has highlighted the need for greater scrutiny and better communication between police and medical professionals when assessing applications for firearms licences. It is essential that all necessary steps are taken to ensure public safety and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.