Plymouth shooting: Church service for victims

A church service has been held in Plymouth to remember five victims of a mass shooting.

Maxine Davison, 51, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66, were killed in the attack in Keyham last Thursday, along with father and daughter Lee Martyn, 43, and Sophie Martyn, three.

People attended the service at St Andrew's and joined online.

It was led by the Bishop of Plymouth and included contributions from the community and city leaders.

The Pope sent a message of "spiritual closeness and blessing" to the families of the victims on Tuesday.

In a letter to Catholic Bishop of Plymouth Mark O'Toole, Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveyed Pope Francis' sadness at the shooting and his prayers for "strength to renounce violence and to overcome every evil with good".

Big screens were also set up outside the church to allow people to attend the service which started at 10:30 BST.

Councillors from across the city, along with community and religious leaders, emergency service workers and members of the military were among about 200 people inside the Minster Church of St Andrew in Royal Parade.

The half-hour service was led by the Right Reverend Nick McKinnel and included a minute's silence and a candle lit for each victim who died.

People who gathered outside were invited to light a candle or place flowers in front of the church.

In his address, the bishop said the city had "witnessed a number of tragic events" in recent years, but the recent deaths - "12 minutes of murder in our city" - had "brought shocking scenes to the very streets of a quiet residential district of our city in a way that none of us could have imagined".

He said Plymouth was facing "a deep sense of sadness and sorrow" and people "stand alongside those who are bereaved and injured and distressed".

"We weep with those who weep."

But he also said he hoped "we can rise above that apparent need always to point the finger, always to find someone to blame, which is such an unattractive aspect of our culture".

He said: "There should be anger, but let us direct it at those who disseminate hate and feed on the insecurities, isolation and bitterness of confused and sick people."

He also thanked the emergency services.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, David Furston, told the congregation that the word that best summed up the city's response was "dignity".

He said: "That dignity speaks volumes of the character of the people who live here; their resilience, their comradeship, their kindness and their concern for each other. That gives me hope."

He said he brought messages of support from "all over Devon" and neighbouring Cornwall, adding: "They admire that resilience."

He also said Her Majesty the Queen and the wider Royal Family passed on their "thoughts and prayers to you, to encourage you to find the strength that you need in these difficult times".

Hymns sung during the service included Abide With Me and Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace.

Lord Mayor of Plymouth Terri Beer said before the service started that it was "important that we all stand united with our fellow residents in Keyham" after such an "unimaginable horror".

She said the service was "a moment for us to come together as a city, remember those we have tragically lost and show the rest of the world how strong we are".

A one-minute silence was held on Monday morning to remember the victims of the shooting.

This week's British Fireworks Championships, to be held in the city on Wednesday and Thursday, will also be dedicated to the five victims, event organisers and the city council said after talks with residents.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday morning, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed condolences.

Sir Lindsay said that, "on behalf of the whole house", he wanted to "record our shock and sadness at the tragic incident ... and all members will want to join me in sending our condolences and sympathies to all those who have been affected in this terrible incident".

Mr Johnson said he was also sending condolences "to the family and friends of those killed in the appalling shooting in Plymouth last week".

He added: "Investigations are continuing, but we will learn every possible lesson from this tragedy."

The Order of Service said the minute's silence was also to "remember before God ... the man who murdered them, Jake Davison".

After killing his victims, the 22-year-old apprentice crane driver turned his weapon on himself before armed police reached him.

Earlier it was announced that a review would be carried out into how Devon and Cornwall Police handles firearms licences.

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send any story ideas to [email protected]