May 2025 Review

GCN is committed to preventing gun violence and we work to pursue that objective through changes to the legal system, public services and attitudes to guns. We collect and analyse data to provide all stakeholders with the evidence needed to initiate change.

GCN collects data on gun incidents and related sentences, inquests and investigations in England, Scotland, and Wales, as reported in the British media. We know our information is incomplete, though we believe nearly all the most serious crimes are included.

This Review refers to incidents that occurred during May 2025 and to earlier incidents for which further information has now been reported, often as a result of a court case or inquest. Please note that the data used for the Figures is derived solely from incidents that occurred, or first came to our attention, in May 2025.

Figure 1: May 2025 incident reports by type

Gun Deaths

We monitor FATAL GUN INCIDENTS in Great Britain and compile lists that summarise the available information. Our summaries for 2017 to 2025 are available at https://gun-control-network.org/news-analysis/

We are aware of one report concerning two gun deaths in May 2025:

• Following a ‘concern for welfare’ report from a family member, police attended a property in Exmouth, Devon and found the body of a man who had suffered a significant head injury, and the body of a woman who had been shot in the chest. Two licensed firearms were recovered from the property. The incident has been reported as a suspected murder-suicide and police said they are not looking for anyone else.

Inquests

We are aware of one report of an inquest in May 2025 relating to gun deaths:

• See Gun Deaths above — An Inquest was opened and adjourned after police found the bodies of a man and a woman with gunshot wounds at their home in Devon.

Armed Domestic Violence and/or Victim Known to Perpetrator

We are aware of one report in May 2025 that we believe to relate to the above:

• See Gun Deaths and Inquests above — Police found the bodies of a man and a woman with gunshot wounds at their home in Devon.

Licensed/Former Licensed Owners/Dealers/Legal Guns and Ammunition, and Stolen Guns and Ammunition

We are aware of at least five reports in May 2025 that we believe to relate to the above:

• See Gun Deaths, Inquests and Armed Domestic Violence and/or Victim Known to Perpetrator above — Police found the bodies of a man and a woman with gunshot wounds at their home in Devon.

• After a police officer was reportedly assaulted in Portsmouth, Hampshire, a man was incapacitated with PAVA Spray before being handcuffed. He was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

• Negotiators and armed police officers responded following reports of a boy armed with a knife and firearm at a park in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire. A baton round was fired at the teenager “due to the nature of the incident and circumstances presented at the scene”. The youth, who sustained bruising to the leg, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

• It has emerged that in 2022, a police officer accidentally fired a police-issue carbine rifle, damaging the central console of a patrol car. No one was injured. The incident, which occurred in Torquay, Devon, came to light following a Freedom of Information request.

• Three soldiers have been injured during an exercise at a military base in Kinloss, Moray. The soldiers, from Belgium, were said to be in a stable condition following a shooting incident. Ten other soldiers suffered hearing damage. An investigation has been opened.

We are aware of at least four reports in May 2025 involving the use of a police Taser:

• After he allegedly assaulted a police officer in Croydon, South London, a man was tasered to prevent him causing further harm. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

• Police officers tasered a man, reportedly in possession of a knife, after responding to a ‘concern for welfare’ report in Leicester, Leicestershire. A police spokesperson said that the man, who was detained under the Mental Health Act, was tasered after refusing to comply with officers’ instructions.

• A man was tasered in Leeds, West Yorkshire after he reportedly struck police officers with a branch, described as having been shaped into a sledgehammer or mallet. The man was given a hospital order following the incident due to a serious mental illness that prevented him from entering pleas.

• Following reports of a man standing on the sill of a car door on the M1 and throwing beer bottles onto a highway, police officers located the suspect walking close to a slip road in Markfield, Leicestershire. He was put into a police car and subsequently restrained with a Taser after trying to walk away. In court, the man apologised for his actions and said he had been drinking before the incident.

Animal Death and Injury

We are aware of at least four reports in May 2025 of animal cruelty and/or death involving a gun:

• Two nesting swans, found dead in a park in Newport, Shropshire, are believed to have been shot with an air rifle. Eggs left on the nest were taken to an incubator. Police have appealed for information.

• Workers at a haulage yard in Ballindalloch, Moray discovered that one of a colony of feral cats they had been feeding had suffered a leg injury. A local branch of Cats Protection, which had been helping the firm with trapping, neutering and releasing the animals, ascertained the cat had been shot. It is suspected that a second cat, usually seen with the injured animal, was also shot and possibly killed.

• A dog died after being shot with an air weapon near a public footpath in Lakenheath, West Suffolk. Police have appealed for information.

• An otter was put to sleep after it was found in Buxton, Norfolk with severe injuries caused by an air weapon. Police have appealed for information, saying that otters are a protected species under UK and European law and harming them is a criminal offence.

Imitation, Airsoft, airguns and BB guns do not currently require a licence in England or Wales. These guns are responsible for many gun injuries to both humans and animals.

N.B. Since January 2017, airgun owners in Scotland have been required to have a licence, and airgun crime in Scotland has decreased by one third.

Gun Control Network, The RSPCA, Cats Protection, other organisations and individuals are calling for similar legislation in England and Wales after 300,000+ members of the public petitioned in favour of airgun licensing.

The previous Government’s Response to a further Consultation, sent predominantly to shooting organisations but not to women’s organisations or those supporting victims of domestic violence, concluded not to license airguns in England and Wales.

Border Force and National Crime Agency

We are aware of at least one report in May 2025 relating to the above:

• A man has been jailed for five years after admitting five charges of possessing ammunition for a firearm when banned for life and possession of a firearm when banned for life. In December 2021, National Crime Agency officers searched the man’s home in New Milton, Hampshire and recovered ammunition, air weapons, tools relating to weapons and plans on how to build a gun. They also found a homemade .22 revolver that was missing just two components. The court heard that the man is a staunch believer in gun ownership. On sentencing, however, the judge said, “This is not the USA, this is Great Britain, and these things are illegal.”

Sentences and Convictions

We are aware of at least 30 reports in May 2025 of sentences and convictions for gun crime, including:

• Two teenage boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been sentenced for their involvement in an armed robbery: one, aged 17, was handed a twelve-month referral order, while the other, age 16, received on eighteen-month rehabilitation order. In December 2023, the teenagers stole an Uber driver’s car after he stopped to deliver food in Bradford, West Yorkshire. One of the youths pointed an imitation gun at the victim before firing it in his direction. DNA recovered from a sword found later in the stolen car was linked to the younger attackers and, upon his arrest, he was found with a black imitation Beretta pistol and ammunition. On sentencing, the judge said of the victim, “At the time he clearly believed he had been fired at with a real gun and immediately passed over his car keys. He certainly thought at the time he might lose his life.” He also imposed a five-year restraining order, banning the offenders from contacting their victim or attending at any address where he might be living.

• Three members of a drug-supply gang have been jailed for drug and firearm offences, including possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition: A 22-year-old was jailed for eleven years and ten months; A 49-year-old received eight years and nine months, while a 24-year-old was sentenced to ten years and ten months. In September 2023, a member of the public found ammunition in a supermarket car park in Salford. CCTV footage of the area led police officers to 49-year-old’s mother’s home in Eccles, Greater Manchester, where they recovered a pistol with a magazine and ammunition, three other pistols, a shortened 12-bore shotgun and nine bullets. When the man was arrested a week later, he was found with £2,5000 worth of Class A drugs. The 22-year-old man had previously been arrested along with the older man after mobile phones, weapons and drugs were recovered from their properties, while the 24-year-old, described as having “a significant role in the gang” was said to have thrown away a gun during a police chase.

• A 25-year-old man from Machen, Caerphilly, has been jailed for fifteen years after pleading guilty to two offences under the Firearms Act and two offences relating to possession of extreme pornography. Following a counter-terrorism investigation, officers found the man in possession of a homemade gun and ammunition.

• Four men have been jailed for a total of 32 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and other firearms related charges. In November 2023, the four men stole house and vehicle keys from a man as he was walking to the front door of his home in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. One man acted as lookout while the victim was pistol-whipped with an imitation handgun. After a neighbour came out to investigate, the men fled. The court heard that the attack had been planned by two of the men with the other two recruited “to reap fear and violence upon a defenceless man”.

• A 29-year-old man from Plymouth, Devon, has been jailed for 34 months after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. In January 2025, the man called 999 twice, saying he wanted to take his own life with a BB gun and that he would shoot anyone that came through his door. Three response officers, supported by armed police, called at his home and tried to speak with him. As the man began to close the door to them, they managed to gain entry and follow him into his bedroom where he pointed what looked like a handgun at them. Firearms officers rushed in, restrained him and recovered a functional and loaded BB gas-powered air pistol, identical in appearance to the police force’s own Glock handguns and powerful enough to be classified as a firearm. The court heard that the man has ADHD and a borderline personality disorder and that his medication prescription had not been renewed after the recent death of his sister. He had, however, taken cocaine and alcohol, increasing his anxiety and agitation. The judge said that it was “one of the sad situations that it appears you may well have called the police with the intention that armed police should attend and indeed shoot you.”

• A 35-year-old man has been jailed for eighteen-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to encouraging or assisting with the sourcing, advertising and sale of prohibited weapons and ammunition, and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin. The court heard that the man was a leading member of a gang in Birmingham, West Midlands and had used the criminal messaging network, EncroChat, to deal in firearms and drugs. Armed police officers assisted in his arrest in June 2020.”

• A 47-year-old man has been handed a sixteen-month prison term after pleading guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. In June 2024, two women called at the man’s home in Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf to conduct a tenancy support visit. After the man locked the door behind them, the women noticed a display of samurai swords, knives and two air rifles in his living room. While speaking about problems with a neighbour and shooting squirrels in the roof, he became agitated and picked up one of the air rifles. After pointing it at one woman’s face, he apologised for his behaviour and unlocked the front door. Police officers responded and found two deactivated air rifles at the property. The court heard that the man had been having mental health issues and had been transferred to hospital after being remanded in custody. Due to the time he has spent on remand, he will be released imminently. In an impact statement, one victim said, “Never in my life have I felt so scared as I did trapped in someone’s house with a gun held to my head. I genuinely thought I could be killed in that moment, I could only think about my children and was worried they would be told their mother had been killed in work.”

• A 42-year-old ex-police officer has been jailed for five years and ten months after admitting possession of an air rifle and a sound moderator without a certificate and two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon. In January 2024, Counter Terrorism officers searched the man’s home in Toton, Nottinghamshire, as well as a storage unit in Nottingham, and recovered 110 weapons including eleven air rifles, CO2-powered guns, knives, batons, knuckle dusters and an imitation firearm. Pistols that had been modified to be over the legal limit, modified air weapons and a sound suppressor were also seized, with four items found to breach firearms legislation. Officers also discovered extreme right-wing literature and instructions for making guns, machine guns and explosives, while racist content was found on the man’s devices. Following sentencing, a police spokesperson said, “Our investigation revealed that the man had a lot of built-up anger, and a hateful outlook on life. He also held a fascination with weaponry and its power and capacity to injure.”

• A 19-year-old man has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years for a total of 35 offences, including nineteen burglaries/attempted burglaries, thirteen theft of motor vehicle offences, robbery, possession of an imitation firearm and possession of Class B drugs. Over a five-week period in 2024, the 19-year-old and his 18-year- old accomplice stole property and cars worth more than £188,000 from homes after gaining entry by burning rear door locks. During one robbery in Oldham, Greater Manchester, the 19-year-old threatened a man with a suspected imitation firearm before stealing his car keys. The 18-year-old received two-and-a-half years for fourteen offences, including eight burglaries/attempted burglaries, five theft of motor vehicle offences and possession of Class B drugs.

• A 19-year-old has been jailed for 32 years after being convicted of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. In October 2024, he shot a man in the face at close range in Coventry, West Midlands. Police believe the victim, who has been left with significant injuries, may have been targeted in a case of mistaken identity. The 19-year-old fled the country after the attack but was arrested on his return to the UK.

• A 32-year-old man has been jailed for eighteen years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and a firearms offence. The man was a member of an organised crime group that was involved in large-scale drug dealing and money laundering. In May 2018, police officers searched a property in Derby, Derbyshire and discovered “an industrial scale operation of wholesale drugs supply and production”. Cash and weapons, including handguns and an Uzi sub machine gun, were also seized. The gang used vehicles with secret compartments to transport drugs and cash around the country, using mobile phones with “military grade encryption” to communicate. The man was sentenced for a firearms offence committed while on bail.

Many incidents involve the use of airguns*, Airsoft, imitation and BB guns, which do not require a licence and may not contain ammunition but are used by perpetrators to capitalise on the fear of victims who believe they are about to be shot. Traumatised victims are often unable to identify the weapons used. It is extremely difficult to distinguish between imitation and live-firing guns unless the weapons are fired and/or recovered, and, for this reason, guns involved in incidents frequently remain unidentified.

Shotguns and rifles can be legally held by those granted a licence. Ultimately, legally-obtained guns in every country tend to find their way into the wrong hands, whether through theft, corrupt gun dealers, and/or the failure of the licensing procedure to identify legal gun owners who pose a risk to themselves and/or others.

Please see the endnote for further explanation of gun types and current legal status.

Figure 2: May 2025 Weapon types recorded in firearm incidents

Notes

See Gun incidents in Great Britain page for details of incidents involving these gun types.

Guns that do not require a licence: Airguns* (so-called ‘low-powered’); Airsoft; ball-bearing; imitation; paintball; antique; deactivated; bolt guns** and starting pistols/blank firers. These guns are cheap, accessible and available to buy on impulse. Moreover, lack of secure storage requirements enables theft. Many are capable of being converted into more powerful weapons. Guns deactivated to early specifications are capable of reactivation and recent, more rigorous specifications are not retrospective.

There is no legal definition of ‘antique’ and, although possession of antique guns is prohibited to those having served or received a criminal sentence, it is unclear how this is administered during sales and transfers.

Airsoft guns are exempt from the terms of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 and are ‘self-regulated’ by the Airsoft industry. The Home Office fails to collect data on the proliferation of Airsoft skirmishing sites.

• *From January 2017 airgun owners in Scotland have required a licence.
• ** A ‘slaughter licence’ is required for a bolt gun.

Guns that require a licence: Airguns in Scotland; shotguns; rifles; police firearms/ Tasers. Gun Control Network and others welcome the proposed increase in Firearms Licence fees to ‘Full Cost Recovery’ in the interests of public safety. The under-resourced licensing procedure has consistently failed to protect the public from licensed gun-owning perpetrators, and women are particularly at risk of domestic violence involving licensed gun owners. See Gun Deaths above. Any number of shotguns can be held on one certificate, which lasts for five years.

The Home Office continues to fail to publish data regarding the number of Licensed Gun Owners/Dealers/Legal Guns and Ammunition involved in non-fatal crime. Similarly, the status of guns used in suicides is not necessarily recorded at Inquests.

Guns that are prohibited: Handguns (revolvers, pistols etc.); 3D guns, Olympic starting pistols; Tasers; blank firers; submachine guns; and ‘other’ weapons (pepper spray/CS Gas; home-made guns and explosive devices). Certain handguns are exempt from prohibition. Handgun, Taser and pepper spray use is authorised for police, but there are concerns regarding fatalities and Taser training.

Imitation/Airsoft guns are available without background checks. Crimes reported in the media as involving handguns are likely to involve imitations, airsoft, air pistols or other guns that look like handguns, resulting in misleadingly-inflated reports of handgun crime.