Gunman Who Killed Five People in Plymouth Was 22-Year-Old YouTuber With Firearms Licence

Plymouth, the biggest city in the south-west of England, is home to a large Royal Navy base - including nuclear submarines and destroyers. Thursday night’s shooting took place in the Keyham district of the city.

A gunman who shot dead five people, including a child, in Plymouth before turning the gun on himself has been identified as Jake Davison, a 22-year-old YouTuber obsessed with conservative US politics.

Devon and Cornwall Police said Davison had a firearms licence and was not known to be a member of a "far-right group".

On his Facebook page, Davison claimed to be from Phoenix, Arizona, but lived in Plymouth, England.

Suspected Plymouth Shooter Jake Davison appeared to have keen interest in American Politics and Culture, Fellow students and neighbours are reporting he suffered with Mental Health Issues and was ignored by Mental Health Authority. #Plymouth pic.twitter.com/9OiTh5OyVL

— TNR - Total News Report (@totalnewsreport) August 13, 2021

​Newspaper, the Daily Mail, claimed Davison identified with the incel movement and described himself as a “f***ing fat ugly virgin".

In his YouTube videos, he described himself as "beaten down" and "defeated by life".

At the end of his final video Davison said: "I know it's a movie but I like to think sometimes I'm the Terminator or something. Despite reaching almost total system failure he keeps trying to accomplish his mission."

According to locals and @Telegraph, the individual responsible for the Plymouth mass shooting was Jake Davison.

Managed to track down his YouTube channel which consists of some workout videos along with rants about women, sex and mental disability. pic.twitter.com/WEdR9wINT5

— Mully (@mdxoon) August 13, 2021

Devon and Cornwall Police said five people were shot dead in Biddick Drive, Keyham just after 6pm on Thursday.

Among the dead was a three-year-old girl and a male adult relation.

The Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall, Shaun Sawyer said: "We believe we have an incident that is domestically related, that has spilt into the street and seen several people in Plymouth losing their life in extraordinarily tragic circumstances."

People are waking up to the grim news that five people and the shooter have died in the #keyham shooting. Hearing that one of the dead is a small child is utterly heartbreaking. From 9am today Ford Primary School and local churches will be open as a safe space for the community

— Luke Pollard MP (@LukePollard) August 13, 2021

​Home Secretary Priti Patel said the incident was "shocking" and added: "I urge everyone to remain calm, follow police advice and allow our emergency services to get on with their job."

It is believed the weapon used was a pump-action shotgun, which is legal in the UK if the owner has a licence.

Questions will inevitably be asked about whether the police had monitored Davison's YouTube output in the light of his firearms licence.

My thoughts are with the friends and family of those who lost their lives and with all those affected by the tragic incident in Plymouth last night. I thank the emergency services for their response.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 13, 2021

​Chief Constable Sawyer said Davison's first victim was a 51-year-old woman whom he murdered in a house in Biddick Drive and who is thought to be a family connection of his. He then went outside and "immediately shot and killed a very young girl. He also shot and killed the male relation of that girl [who was 43]".

In an agitated YouTube video posted 2 weeks ago the Plymouth gunman, named locally as Jake Davison, refers to himself as “the terminator”. He appears to affiliate with Incel (involuntary celibate) - a misogynistic group - expressing sympathy for “Incel virgins”.

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) August 13, 2021

​Davison then shot and injured a 53-year-old woman and a man aged 33, both of whom are still in hospital being treated for their wounds and are believed not to be known to each other. 

He then walked into a park and shot dead a 59-year-old man who was walking his dog and a 66-year-old woman.

His last victim was shot outside a hair salon and Davison then walked to the back of the salon and shot himself, according to police.

UK police and politicians quickly jumped to say the shooting of #jakedavison was not 'terrorism'

Davidson ran a YouTube channel, and in his last video just over 2 weeks ago spoke about being black pilled and the absence of a good life, for incels and virgins.

Sound familiar? pic.twitter.com/W8IE3dbE7v

— Mark Malone (@soundmigration) August 13, 2021

​Chief Constable Sawyer said they would examine Davison's computer hard drive and social media posts but at present they were not aware of his motives.

The Daily Mail claimed Davison's mother, Maxine, had become concerned about his mental health but had been unable to obtain help.

The Mail said a friend of the family wrote on Facebook: "The NHS basically said they are short-staffed and that was it. The family even asked the police to come out to see him as he was talking and acting strange - they didn't do a welfare check. And now six people are dead."