August 2026 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 August 2026 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 August 2026.

Figure 1:  2026 August incident reports by type

Gun Death

We monitor FATAL GUN INCIDENTS in Great Britain and compile lists that summarise the available information. Our summaries for 2017 to 2026 are available at https://gun-control-network.org/news-analysis/

We are aware of three reports concerning gun deaths in August 2026:

• A man died at the scene after being shot at a travellers’ site in Calcutt, Wiltshire. A man and woman have since been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and assisting an offender.

• A man was pronounced dead at the scene after he was shot in Clapham, South London. A man was arrested on suspicion of murder after he attended a hospital with a gunshot wound the following day.

• A man found fatally wounded inside a car in East Ham, East London died at the scene shortly afterwards. A man has since been charged with murder.

Inquests

We are aware of one report in August 2026 of an inquest relating to a gun death:

• An inquest into the death of a man in Marchwood, Hampshire has been opened and adjourned. The man was found dead in the garden of his home in July 2026, with a shotgun nearby. The preliminary cause of death was given as a catastrophic brain injury from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Armed Domestic Violence and/or Victim Known to Perpetrator

We are aware of three reports in August 2026 that we believe to relate to the above:

• A 73-year-old man has been jailed for 35 years after being convicted of murder, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial and six firearms offences. In 2019, he fatally shot a man with a shotgun on his farm in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The victim, who had been living in his car on the farm and helping with odd jobs, reportedly stole a machine gun from the defendant some months before his death. The 73-year-old killed his victim after becoming “greatly angered” by the alleged theft. He then enlisted an old friend to help him hide the body. Following a review of evidence in 2025, the victim’s remains were found inside a concrete-filled barrel in a padlocked trailer on a neighbouring farm, with a card ID belonging to the defendant seized at the scene. The court heard that the defendant had asked the farm owner if he could park the trailer there while “tidying up” his own property and it stayed there until the victim’s remains were found. The trial also revealed that police officers searched the defendant’s farm twice after the victim’s disappearance and seized a cache of weapons, including dozens of guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, swords, 30 to 40 axes, daggers, crossbows and tripwires. The defendant’s friend, aged 72, was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

• After a man allegedly made repeated unwanted contact with a woman over several months this year and reportedly discharged a BB air pistol at her property in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, he was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, an offence relating to an allegation of stalking involving fear and violence, and possessing an offensive weapon in a private place (curved sword).

• A 21-year-old man has been fined £200 and ordered to pay costs after pleading guilty to possessing a weapon for the discharge of an electrical incapacitation and possessing a Class B drug. In August 2025, a security guard alerted police after the man discharged a stun gun at a friend in a pub in Boston, Lincolnshire. The court heard that the perpetrator was with a group of friends who were curious to see the weapon’s effect.

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

We are aware of two reports in August 2026 that we believe to relate to the above:

• Several airsoft weapons, a laptop and other items have been stolen from an airsoft venue in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. No arrests have yet been reported.

• A 20-year-old man has been jailed for six years and ten months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A & B drugs, possession of a prohibited firearm, conspiracy to supply a firearm, possession of ammunition and being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs. In May 2026, the man was shot in the arm by a police officer after he tried to evade arrest in Whitefield, Greater Manchester. A converted blank-firing pistol was found in his car, while ammunition and drug supply paraphernalia were later seized at an address linked to him.

We are aware of at least five reports in August 2026 involving the use of a police Taser, including:

• Police officers responding to a welfare call in Blackheath, South London arrested a man on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and indecent exposure. A Taser was used during the arrest.

• Police officers tasered and arrested a man after he was seen reportedly carrying a knife in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The man allegedly refused to put the knife down as instructed by the officers.

• A police constable is to face an accelerated gross misconduct hearing after being convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. In August 2023, the constable used his police-issue PAVA spray on a colleague at the police station in Catford, South London, afterwards asking him to lie about the assault. He also told colleagues that the victim, whose eyes were visibly irritated, may have hurt himself or been crying.

• After a man attempted to break into a property in Llandrindod Wells, Powys in May 2026, he escaped on foot from responding police officers. Shortly afterwards, when officers attended his home address to arrest him, the man held a broken glass up to one officer’s face. A Taser and PAVA spray were deployed during his arrest.

• Police officers stopped a car being driven erratically in Chadderton, Greater Manchester. The driver was tasered and arrested after he reportedly became aggressive. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assaulting two officers, possession with intent to supply a Class B drug and child neglect.

Animal Death and Injury

We are aware of at least twelve reports in August 2026 of animal cruelty and/or death involving a gun:

• It has emerged that a cat was shot with a pellet gun in Liverpool, Merseyside last month. Police have since issued a letter to local pet owners warning of this and other reports of animal cruelty in the area.

• An X-ray revealed that a hedgehog, found struggling to move in Oxford, Oxfordshire, had been shot with an air rifle. The hedgehog died during surgery at a wildlife hospital.

• A cat is recovering after being shot twice with an airgun in Stapleford, Wiltshire. He has been left with a pellet lodged dangerously close to his spine for fear that removing it could cause further damage. Police have appealed for information.

• The RSPCA have opened an investigation after two mallard ducks and a cygnet were found dead near a canal in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. All three birds had been shot. The charity has appealed for information.

• Two cats owned by one family have been shot with an air weapon in Burtonwood, Cheshire. The cats, whose owners believe they have been shot more than once over a two-month period, suffered facial injuries, with one pet needing emergency surgery. Police have appealed for information.

• A cat is recovering at home after being shot with an airgun in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. The cat needed surgery to remove pellets from its head. Police have been informed.

• A swan died after being shot with a BB gun in Cardiff, South Wales. Police have appealed for information. Swans are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it a criminal offence to intentionally injure, take or kill one.

• A cat had surgery to remove an air rifle pellet after being shot in Wells, The attack has been reported to police and the RSPCA. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to deliberately cause unnecessary suffering to an animal, which crime can result in a maximum of five years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine for serious offences.

• X-rays revealed that a fox, found in a garden in New Addington, South London, had been shot four times with an air rifle. Pellets had lodged in her leg, spine and abdomen. The fox was put to sleep due to the severity of her injuries.

• A cat is recovering at home after being shot with a suspected air rifle in Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire. Police and the RSPCA have been informed. A spokesperson from the animal charity said, “We should all want to see a world where animals are treated with kindness and respect. But while it’s still too easy for people to get their hands on an airgun, without the necessary basic safety training, or an understanding of the impact these weapons pose, then animals remain at risk. That’s why the RSPCA want to see stricter regulations – including better education, training for owners, and a thorough explanation of the law – which could help to protect countless animals from such attacks in the future.”

• X-rays revealed that a cat, found “staggering” in her garden in Whitchurch-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, had been shot with an air weapon. She is recovering at home after having a pellet removed from her neck.

• Five days after going missing, a cat returned to his home in Borrowash, Derbyshire suffering a gunshot wound. X-rays revealed an air rifle pellet lodged next to his spine while other pellets were found outside the owner’s home. An RSPCA spokesperson has appealed for information.

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.

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 August 2026 relating to the above:

• A 62-year-old man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to attempting to possess a component part of a prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition and possessing an overpowered air rifle without a licence. In July 2021, National Crime Agency (NCA) officers raided the man’s home in Telford, Shropshire and recovered firearms components, tools, two 3D printers and a partially-completed firearm. It was subsequently determined that the man had been approximately fifteen minutes from finishing the weapon. Computers and storage devices at the property revealed information on firearms conversion, ammunition manufacture and the production of weapons using 3D printers, with one file containing instructional videos on the same model of gun recovered. Firearms specialists used the information to manufacture the remaining components needed to complete the partially-completed gun, which was subsequently successfully test-fired. A powerful air rifle and ammunition were also found at the property as well as part of a shotgun reported as stolen from a vehicle.

Sentences and Convictions

We are aware of at least 23 reports in August 2026 of sentences and convictions for gun crime, including:

• A 22-year-old man from New Brighton, Merseyside has been jailed for eleven years and eight months after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of a shortened shotgun, possession of prohibited ammunition and drug offences. In February 2026, police officers recovered a shotgun, a converted blank-firer, a quantity of ammunition and Class A & B drugs while searching two properties and a storage locker linked to the man. On sentencing, the judge said, “Drug trafficking and firearms offences, even more so in combination, are extremely serious offences. These courts and this city are all too familiar with the very serious consequences for society of this type of offending.”

• A 44-year-old man has been jailed for four years and eight months after admitting robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent. In February 2026, he partially obscured the registration plate on his car before driving to a service station in Lea, He then pointed a black BB gun at the lone cashier, grabbed her phone and demanded money. When the cashier struggled to open the till, he went round the counter and helped himself to cash, cigarettes and tobacco. When police officers arrested him at his home address, they seized the gun, a balaclava and over £6000 in cash. The judge ordered the destruction of the gun and banned the man from driving for eighteen months from the date of his release.

• A 32-year-old man has been jailed for six years and nine months after admitting possessing an illegal firearm, possessing ammunition without a licence and possessing a weapon in breach of a ban after previous convictions. In December 2025, police officers investigating a drug supply operation raided the man’s home in Kibworth, Leicestershire and found a loaded bolt-action handgun in a cupboard. Firearms officers subsequently successfully test-fired the gun. On sentencing, the judge said, “There’s no lawful purpose for possession of such a weapon – its only use is in crime. It has the capacity to injure, to kill, to cause fear and panic and serious disorder.”

• A 22-year-old man has been handed a prison term of seven years and two months after admitting to his involvement in an armed break-in. The sentence will run consecutively to one he is currently serving for an unrelated offence. In March 2025, after the defendant and three other masked intruders forced their way into a home in Glasgow, Scotland, some of the occupants, including three children, barricaded themselves into the living room. When the gang grabbed one woman, held a gun to her head and demanded money, one of her relatives escaped and raised the alarm. After the assailant fled with stolen car keys, police officers searched his home and recovered a black air pistol.

• A 24-year-old man has been jailed for four years and eight months after admitting possession of a firearm. While he was attending a meeting at a probation office in Laindon, Essex in October 2025, police officers arrived to arrest him in connection with alleged drug supply and child criminal exploitation offences. During a search, a viable converted blank-firing revolver was found in one of the pockets of his coat. The man pleaded guilty on the basis he had come into possession of the gun after being forced to hold it by gang associates. He claimed to have been planning to hand it in to staff at the probation office.

• A 46-year-old man has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to possession of a shotgun without a licence, possession of a prohibited weapon and witness intimidation. In January 2025, his partner reported to police that she felt uncomfortable about weapons he kept in their home and his “unhealthy fascination with weapons, Nazis and violence”. During the subsequent search of the property in Swansea, South Wales, officers seized a 12-bore single-barrelled shotgun, a non-functional air rifle, a sword in a sheath, a wooden bat, a black-handled knife in a scabbard, a spring-loaded air pistol, a dagger with a Nazi emblem, an axe and a prohibited gas-powered revolver. The court heard that, after police seized the weapons, he had tried to “browbeat, emotionally blackmail, and badger” his partner into changing her story.

• A 35-year-old man has been jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 30 years, after being found guilty of murder. In October 2021, a man died in hospital after being shot in the legs in Loughborough Junction, South London. The defendant was arrested as he boarded a flight to Jamaica four days later. The gun used has not been recovered but he was linked to the shooting through CCV, mobile phone data and ballistics evidence.

• A 32-year-old man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to kidnap. In December 2025, he kidnapped a man at gunpoint before tying him up inside a property in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. After he threatened to injure and kill his victim, he called one of the man’s relatives and demanded £250,000 for his release. He subsequently lowered the amount demanded before releasing his hostage three hours later. While captive, the victim saw the gun, knives, a blow torch, tweezers, bleach and a large sheet at the property. Police officers visited the property the following day and recovered an empty gun case, zip ties and a handwritten kidnap list. The court heard that the victim was not involved in criminality and did not know the defendant; however, it is thought that the defendant suspected his victim’s relative of stealing some money from him. In an impact statement, the victim said he had thought he was going to die.

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: August 2026 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** certain 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 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. 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; certain top venting 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.