Ministers have refused to support stricter controls on shotguns in the wake of the tragic mass shooting. Home Office minister Chris Philp announced he would initiate a fresh consultation on firearms licensing following the tragic events in Keyham, Plymouth in 2021. However, the Government stopped short of accepting a coroner's recommendations for gun law reform.
In a span of just eight minutes, 22-year-old Jake Davison killed his mother, Maxine, 51, and then proceeded to shoot three-year-old Sophie Martyn, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66. Davison ultimately turned the weapon on himself when confronted by an unarmed police officer on August 12, 2021. Senior coroner for Plymouth and South Devon, Ian Arrow, argued that the 50-year-old Firearms Act was incompatible with public safety and the principle that owning a gun is a privilege, not a right.
Mr. Arrow submitted a series of reports to the Government and police organizations, calling for an end to the legislative distinction between Section 1 firearms, such as rifles, and shotguns. He also expressed concerns about the Home Office's guidance to police forces regarding the Firearms Act legislation, the training provided to police staff assessing license applications, and the training given to judges hearing license appeals.
