October 2024 Review

by Gun Control Network on 11-11-2024

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 October 2024 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 October 2024.

Figure 1: October 2024 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 2024 are available at https://gun-control-network.org/news-analysis/

We are aware of four reports in October 2024 concerning gun deaths:

  • A man and a woman were found dead at their home in Cardiff, South Wales after neighbours reported hearing gunfire. Police recovered a rifle from the property and later confirmed they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths.
  • Following reports of a shooting in Tottenham, North London, emergency services personnel found a man suffering gunshot injuries. He died at the scene shortly afterwards. A man has since been charged with murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
  • Emergency services responded to reports of a wounded man after shots were fired in Barking, East London. The victim died of his injuries at the scene shortly afterwards. Police have appealed for information but no arrests have yet been made.
  • A teenage male died in hospital after being shot on a street in Birmingham, West Midlands. Three men and a woman have since been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Inquests

We are aware of two reports of inquest verdicts in October 2024 relating to gun deaths:

  • The coroner at the inquest into the death of a married couple at their home in Sandwich, Kent in July 2024 has concluded that the man’s death was a suicide, while a narrative conclusion for the woman stated that she died as a consequence of cyanide toxicity. The woman was discovered lying on her bed and the man was found elsewhere in the property with a gunshot wound to the head and holding a gun. The man had left a note saying that his wife had taken a dose of cyanide and that he had “no wish to survive her”. The inquest heard that the couple had become frustrated at their declining health and that the woman had mentioned an assisted dying organisation to her daughter. Police evidence concluded no evidence of third-party involvement.
  • The coroner at the inquest into the death of a man whose body was found in his car near Midhurst, West Sussex in May 2024 has ruled out a conclusion of suicide due to lack of evidence. The inquest heard that the man, an army cadet and licensed shotgun owner, had packed his shotgun into his car before leaving his parents’ home to drive to Sandhurst Military Academy to begin his final term. During the journey, his vehicle left the road and hit a tree. He was found dead shortly afterwards with a gunshot wound to the head. It is believed that the deceased had been “struggling” during his training and had recently suffered a setback to his career plans.

Armed Domestic Violence and/or Victim Known to Perpetrator

We are aware of four reports in October 2024 that we believe to relate to the above, including:

  • See Gun Deaths above — a couple found dead at their home in South Wales. Police recovered a rifle from the property.
  • A 36-year-old man has been jailed for 32 months after pleading guilty to assault and failing to appear at court. In June 2022, a man and a woman visited the perpetrator at his caravan in Burnbraes, Caithness. Following a “hostile exchange” the man pointed an air pistol at the couple’s car, causing them to reverse away in panic. Police subsequently recovered the weapon used, along with a number of other air pistols.
  • Armed police officers were deployed in Shoebury, Essex following reports of an incident involving two people in a vehicle, one of whom allegedly had a firearm. A man and a woman, believed to be known to each other, were subsequently arrested in connection with the report.
  • A man has been sentenced to 27 weeks in prison after admitting possession of a firearm in public and assaulting two people. In December 2023, the man attacked his ex-partner on a street in Bude, Cornwall, punching her and dragging her by the hair. When police officers responded, he ran away, discarding a loaded BB gun as he fled. He was detained after being tasered. The day before this incident, the man punched a member of staff in a shop after being confronted for shoplifting. As he had already served five months on remand, he was released on licence for twelve months with a five-year restraining order imposed.

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

We are aware of at least three reports in October 2024 that we believe to relate to the above:

  • See Inquests above — A coroner ruled out a conclusion of suicide due to lack of evidence after an army cadet, a licensed shotgun owner, was found dead in his car in West Sussex with a shotgun wound to his head.
  • A police officer, who fatally shot a man in Streatham, South London in September 2022, has been cleared by a jury of murder. The victim, driving a car believed to be linked to a previous firearms incident, was shot in the forehead through the windscreen after he tried to ram a police vehicle that had blocked him in as part of a trap. He died in hospital the following day. The officer, who is due to face a disciplinary hearing brought by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said that he’d had “a genuine belief there was an imminent threat to life” and that he believed “one or more” of his colleagues “was about to die”.
  • RSPB investigators have filmed three gamekeepers plotting to kill a hen harrier on a grouse moor in North Yorkshire, as well as discussing earlier shootings of a buzzard and a raven. All three birds are of protected species. One of the gamekeepers is later seen shooting dead an untagged hen harrier.

We are aware of at least three reports in October 2024 involving the use of a police Taser including:

  • Police officers responding to a report of a man “acting erratically with a knife” in Shoreham, West Sussex, used a Taser and a distraction device before firing baton rounds at him. The man was treated in hospital and arrested on suspicion of possessing a weapon in a public place.
  • A man, who was tasered by a police officer in Central London in 2018, has been granted a £24,000 compensation payout. The man, who had been stopped by police on suspicion of driving at excessive speed, was tasered while standing with his arms folded and talking to a friend. He fell backwards and banged his head on a stone ledge. In 2023, a High Court Judge found the use of the Taser reasonable, but the Court of Appeal has now ruled it was not “objectively reasonable” and that damages should be awarded.

Animal Death and Injury

We are aware of at least eight reports in October 2024 of animal cruelty and/or death involving a gun:

  • See Licensed/Former Licensed Owners/Dealers/Legal Guns and Ammunition above — RSPB investigators have filmed three gamekeepers plotting to kill a hen harrier and referring to other illegal activities relating to protected birds.
  • A swan was found shot dead immediately after a loud bag was heard at a park in Swindon, Wiltshire. Police have since released CCTV images of the three males wanted in connection with the incident.
  • A cat is recovering after being shot in the leg and stomach in Allerton Bywater, West Yorkshire. She required surgery to pin and plate a leg that was shattered in two places. According to the RSPCA, the number of incidents involving cats being targeted with airguns, catapults and crossbows have more than doubled from this time last year.
  • A peregrine was put to sleep after it was shot in Glen Esk, A member of the public found the bird in distress and the severity of its injuries meant it could not be saved. A wildlife crime police officer said, “Peregrine falcons are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is illegal to kill any protected species.”
  • Residents have reported several incidents of pets being shot by pellet guns in Rudheath, Cheshire, with one cat suffering a fractured leg.
  • X-rays revealed that a cygnet, found dead on a golf course in Blackpool, Lancashire, had been shot with a suspected air rifle. Police have appealed for information.
  • A swan, whose mate was killed by a dog last year, has died after being shot in the head with an airgun in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. The swan could not be saved despite treatment from the RSPCA. A spokesperson from the organisation said, “It’s unspeakably cruel and totally unacceptable to shoot animals for ‘fun’ like this – or to harm them for target practice – but, sadly, we receive nearly 200 reports every year. All wild birds are protected in law, and the maximum penalty for injuring or killing a wild bird is six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine. We encourage anyone with information about who did this to report this.”
  • One of two cygnets found dead in Barnsley, South Yorkshire had gunshot wounds on its body. The RSPCA has appealed for information. Wild birds in the UK, including swans and cygnets, are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take wild birds except under licence. Offenders face a maximum of six months in prison and an unlimited fine if found guilty.

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 October 2024 relating to the above:

  • A 34-year-old former soldier has been jailed for nine years and ten months after pleading guilty to conspiring to acquire possession of dutiable goods with fraudulent intent. He bought six polymer handguns in the USA and posted them to the UK between November 2023 and January 2024 with “bank account details, flight tickets and telephone evidence” linking him to the illegal operation. The “potentially lethal” weapons could discharge real ammunition and are prohibited under English law. UK Border Force staff intercepted five of the deliveries, containing guns, component parts and ammunition, and police arrested the man after a fake parcel was sent to an address in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Following sentencing, a police spokesperson said, “I have no doubt these firearms would have ended up in the hands of serious organised criminals where they would have posed a real danger to our communities had they not been intercepted.”

Sentences and Convictions

We are aware of at least 49 reports in October 2024 of sentences and convictions for gun crime, including:

  • A 44-year-old man has been jailed for nine years after admitting attempted robbery, criminal damage and three counts of robbery, and being convicted of four charges of possession of an imitation firearm. In April 2024, the man handed a note to a member of staff at a bookmaker’s shop in Luton that said, “Listen. Do not make a noise. Fill this bag with money. I have a gun.” He then fled with £230 in cash. Later the same evening, he threatened staff with an imitation gun while demanding money at a fast-food restaurant in Bedford, He fled empty handed after the manager locked himself inside an office. The following day, he threatened staff at a shop in Dunstable before stealing money and cigarettes. When he was arrested shortly afterwards, police officers recovered an imitation firearm from his car.
  • A 26-year-old man has been jailed for seven years and one month after pleading guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of ammunition without a certificate. In February 2024, he shot a man in the head in Liverpool, Merseyside. However, a jury found him not guilty of murder, manslaughter and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The court heard that the man, a drug dealer, took a self-loading pistol to his victim’s home after arranging for him and his brother to look after it. Believing the weapon to be unloaded, the 26-year-old accidentally shot the man while demonstrating how it worked. The victim died in hospital a few days later.
  • A 34-year-old man has been jailed for fifteen years after pleading guilty to attempting to acquire a prohibited firearm, attempting to acquire ammunition without a firearms certificate, attempting to possess ammunition when prohibited, drug offences and conspiracy to transfer criminal property. In January 2021, after the criminal messaging EncroChat was decrypted, police officers recovered three double-barrelled sawn-off shotguns, three revolvers and drugs worth around £250,000 from a house in Southampton, Hampshire. The man was found to be the “orchestrator and facilitator” of the supply of Class A drugs and guns from Liverpool to Southampton, supported by a 24-year-old gang member who received fourteen years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess a prohibited firearm, conspiracy to possess a firearm without a certificate, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and drug offences.
  • A 22-year-old man has been jailed for fifteen years after admitting possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply. In April 2023, armed officers supported the search of an address linked to the man in Birmingham, West Midlands. Two guns, ammunition and drugs were recovered from the property. Following sentencing, a police spokesperson said that the arrest came as part of a wider investigation into gang violence, which causes devastation and misery in communities.
  • A 59-year-old man has been handed a two-year community order after admitting possessing an imitation firearm. In February 2024, the man stood in the living room of his home in Spalding, Lincolnshire and “mimicked” shooting actions while pointing a BB gun at parents and children outside on their way to school. When armed police officers responded, the man claimed to have been cleaning the gun. The man must also complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.
  • A 63-year-old man has been handed a suspended two-year prison term with 20 rehabilitation days after being found guilty of dealing in crack cocaine, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and possession of an imitation Airsoft firearm. In March 2023, police officers stopped a car occupied by the man in Wakefield, West Yorkshire and recovered eight wraps of cocaine from the vehicle, as well as an Airsoft gun from the glovebox. The man claimed to have confiscated the weapon from his daughter.
  • A 36-year-old man has been jailed for ten years after pleading guilty to thirteen offences including possession of a prohibited smooth-bore gun, converting an imitation firearm into a firearm, three counts of possessing a firearm when prohibited, three counts of possessing ammunition when prohibited and drug offences. In July 2023, police officers searched the man’s home and outbuildings in Rochdale, Greater Manchester and recovered five firearms, ammunition, drugs and chemicals believed to be used in the manufacture and production of drugs. In addition, animals being kept in squalid conditions were rescued from the premises.
  • A 20-year-old man has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to being in possession of a component part of a prohibited weapon, attempting to manufacture a prohibited weapon and three counts of being in possession of a document or record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. In February 2023, officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit searched the man’s home in Portsmouth, Hampshire and recovered a 3D-printed firearm, component parts of a FGC-9 MK 11 semi-automatic, ammunition, weapon scopes, a large knife, body armour, camouflage clothing, a hand-written note criticising Jewish people, Nazi memorabilia and two digital copies of the Anarchist Cookbook. The man was arrested at the scene for firearms offences and, after further extremist documents were found during the ensuing investigation, re-arrested for offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.
  • A 41-year-old man has been jailed for seven years after pleading guilty to fundraising for the purposes of terrorism and two charges of making funding arrangements for the purposes of terrorism. A further 23 offences linked to breaching customs and excise laws were left to lie on file. In January 2018, officers at Heathrow Airport, Greater London seized rifle scopes being sent by the man to Pakistan. He admitted to HMRC investigators that he knew they were destined for members of the Taliban.
  • A 32-year-old man has been jailed for seven years and four months after admitting robbery in a dwelling, two counts of false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm while committing an offence. In April 2023, the man entered a home in Corringham, Essex dressed as a police officer and carrying an imitation gun. He handcuffed a woman, threatened her and her three children and demanded she transfer money via cryptocurrency. When he was told they had no cryptocurrency, he attacked one of the family members. The victim fell down some stairs and suffered a head injury. Before the man fled, one of the children managed to call police and the woman managed to free herself. When the man was arrested shortly afterwards at a property in Chelsea, police officers recovered a number of imitation firearms, tactical vests and batons.
  • Seven gang members have been jailed for a total of 102 years after they attacked rivals suspected of stabbing a friend. The men armed themselves with weapons including a machete and a shotgun before chasing cars belonging to their rivals in Peckham, South London. The man who received the longest sentence of more than seventeen years, fired the shotgun through one of the vehicle’s windows, hitting a man in the leg. The gun was fired at two more people, one of whom was also shot in the leg. The man who fired the shotgun was later found with the gun, Class A drugs, a stab-proof vest, a knife and burner phones. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, two counts of wounding with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. His co-defendants were sentenced for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
  • A 26-year-old man from Clapham, South London, has been jailed for fourteen years after pleading guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, two counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery, making a threat to kill, strangulation and perverting the course of justice. In February 2024, the man attacked a sex worker he had arranged to meet, tying her up and threatening her with a replica handgun before stealing £2000. The following day, he struck a second woman with the gun and tried to strangle her. He was identified through CCTV, DNA and fingerprints left at the scene. Police officers recovered the gun and cable ties from a backpack that the man threw from a balcony at his home just before his arrest.
  • A 24-year-old man from Weston, Somerset has been jailed for twelve years, with a further three years on licence, after being found guilty of dissemination of a terrorist publication, sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety, six counts of possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and four counts of encouraging terrorism. The man, who has autism and Asperger’s syndrome, was arrested in August 2023 after he posted extreme right-wing material on social media platforms, expressing racist views and encouraging audiences to direct action against others. He also posted instructions on how to make explosives and used a homemade 3D-printed plastic gun as a prop in online videos. On sentencing, the judge said that the man had “a clear interest in white supremacy other terrorists … massacres, including the Christchurch shootings”.
  • A 30-year-old man has been handed a suspended six-month prison term after pleading guilty to possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and three counts of possessing an imitation firearm in a public place. In October 2022, the man, dressed in a balaclava and armed with what looked like two shotguns, was seen walking toward a primary school in Connah’s Quay, The man fled from responding police officers, taking refuge in his brother’s house. The street was blocked off and armed officers attended. After a short time, the man left the property and officers recovered a number of imitation firearms and five bullet cartridges. The court heard that the man had bought the firearms at a car boot sale and had been carrying them as he had previously been attacked. The man’s brother was discharged conditionally for two years and an order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the ammunition.

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: October 2024 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 air gun 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.

The inadequate licensing procedure is subsidised by taxpayers to the tune of £20 million a year. Any number of shotguns can be held on one certificate, which lasts for five years. The licensing procedure consistently fails to protect the public from licensed gun-owning perpetrators and women are particularly at risk of domestic violence involving licensed gun owners. The Home Office fails to publish data regarding the number of Licensed Gun Owners/Dealers/Legal Guns and Ammunition involved in non-fatal crime. The status of guns used in suicides is not recorded at inquests.

Guns that are prohibited: Handguns (revolvers, pistols etc.); Olympic starting pistols; Tasers; 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.