A father has been killed on the Isle of Skye in a series of firearms incidents that have “shocked the community to the core”.
John Mackinnon, named locally, was found dead at a property in the Teangue area on Wednesday morning, after officers were sent to the scene following reports a gun had been fired.
Three people were taken to hospital following the incidents, some of which involved a gun.
Officers were called to a property in the Tarskavaig area of Skye shortly before 9am on Wednesday where they found a 32-year-old woman with serious injuries, who was then taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
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About half an hour later, gun shots were reported at another property in the Teangue area of the island, about eight miles away, where the 47-year-old man was pronounced dead when emergency services arrived.
Following reports of gunshots in Dornie on the mainland, a man was found with serious injuries and taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment and a woman, whose condition is unknown, was taken to Broadford Hospital, Skye.
Dozens of emergency vehicles were deployed to the spate of incidents.
A 39-year-old man has since been arrested in connection with the three incidents, which police believe are linked but are not related to terrorism. The suspect was taken to Raigmore Hospital.
Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said it was “one of the worst days that I can recall in the history of Skye and Lochalsh”.
The area is popular with tourists and are known for their spectacular landscapes and medieval castles.
Ch Supt Conrad Trickett, local policing commander for the Highlands and Islands division, said there would be a significant police presence in the area over the coming days, adding: “We will be working with partners to provide support to the local community. I would like to reassure people that we are treating these incidents as contained with no wider threat to the public.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that four people had been taken to hospital following the spate of incidents.
Ms Forbes added: “I cannot begin to imagine what the family and friends of those who have lost a loved one are going through, and they should be in all our thoughts and prayers right now.
“West Highland communities are close-knit, we are warm and welcoming, and this will shatter us to the core. It feels like our very heart has been ripped apart.
“I, and I am sure many others, never thought we would see such an awful day.”
Ian Blackford, SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, said it was very concerning news and that his thoughts were with all those affected.
In a tweet, he said: “As more details come to light, the response of the emergency services seems to have stopped this incident spreading even further than it did. Thank you for the work that you do.”
