Man charged with murder and attacks around Skye

A man has been charged with the murder of a father-of-six and the attempted murders of three other people following a series of incidents around Skye.

John MacKinnon, 47, died after a gun was fired at a property in Teangue, on Skye, on Wednesday morning.

A 32-year-old woman had earlier been injured in an incident about eight miles away (13km) in Tarskavaig.

In Dornie on the Highland mainland, a gun was also fired and a man and woman, both aged 63, were injured.

They have been named locally as John Don Mackenzie and Fay Mackenzie.

Police said a 39-year-old man had been charged in connection with Mr MacKinnon's murder and the attempted murder of three others. He is due to appear in court on Friday.

Earlier, police confirmed a Taser was discharged during the arrest.

Mr MacKinnon has been described as a popular and well-know figure in the Sleat area of Skye.

In a statement, his family said: "John was a loving husband, father of six, brother, uncle and grandfather to his family, and was a much-loved member of the community.

"John loved the outdoors, was a keen motorcyclist and, as a loved father, shared his activities with his family."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said everyone in Scotland would be thinking of the communities affected.

Speaking as she visited a church group in Forfar, Angus, on Thursday, she said: "The kind of incidents that happened yesterday would have been horrific and devastating in any part of the country.

"But the kind of communities we're talking about here are small, close-knit communities and that sense of devastation will be felt even more acutely."

In a briefing on Thursday, Ch Supt Conrad Trickett said the thoughts of Police Scotland were with the families and communities affected by the incidents.

He said the 32-year-old woman and 63-year-old man were seriously injured and remained in hospital.

And he confirmed that the gun fired in the incidents was a licensed firearm owned by the person who discharged it.

Ch Supt Trickett said he wished to reassure the public that the incidents had been dealt with swiftly and professionally by local officers.

He said: "Serious incidents which were witnessed yesterday are extremely rare and I would like to further reassure the local communities that they were dealt with and there is no further threat to local people.

"Local officers who live and work in these communities brought the situation to as swift a conclusion as possible and I thank everyone involved, including colleagues from the Scottish Ambulance Service, for their outstanding efforts in responding to what was a distressing series of incidents."

Ch Supt Trickett added: "The investigation, being led by Police Scotland's major investigation team, is complex and challenging and I would also like to thank the local communities for their understanding and co-operation as we work through our inquiries.

"Given the size of the investigation and the fact we are dealing with a number of different sites, the considerable police presence will remain for the near future.

Police from across Skye and also from Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow responded and 50 officers remain in the area.

They were initially called to a report of a 32-year-old woman being injured at a property in Tarskavaig, on Skye, shortly before 09:00 on Wednesday.

Officers were then called to an incident about eight miles away (13km) in Teangue where police said a gun was fired and Mr MacKinnon died.

At about 10:00 police were called to an incident in Dornie, near Kyle of Lochalsh on the west Highland mainland, where a gun was also fired.

Keith MacKenzie, of the West Highland Free Press newspaper, said Mr MacKinnon's death was a shock to the local area of Sleat.

He said: "There is a feeling of sadness for the MacKinnon family having lost a father, brother and husband, and just someone who was a friend to so many people. It is going to hit the community very, very hard."

Ian Blackford, SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, described it as a "very, very dark period" for Skye and Lochalsh.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "These are small communities where everybody tends to know everyone and there is a real sense of shock."

Mr Blackford praised the response of the emergency services and Highland Council to the incidents.

Kate Forbes, Scottish finance secretary and MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said close-knit communities had been "shattered to our core".

John Finlayson, Highland councillor for Skye and Raasay, said his thoughts were with families and communities affected.

Mr Finlayson said: "I've never known tragedy like this and there's two communities that have been affected here - one on Skye and one on the mainland.

"So, it's a sad day, it's a tragic day, and it's a very tough day for us all."

Hamish Fraser, of Broadford and Strath community council on Skye, said the events of Wednesday were unheard of in living memory and the shockwaves would be felt across local communities for weeks and months.

The rescue operation saw multiple ambulances, air ambulances and special rapid retrieval emergency teams, which are only summoned for incidents in rural locations when people are in critical need of medical attention.

By Isla Todd, BBC Reporter in Skye

The west coast and Skye is known more as a tourist destination than a crime scene.

Speaking to locals in Dornie, where one of the incidents took place, it was clear it was a tight-knit and close community. Residents told me there's a sense of safety living here, with many confessing they don't always lock their doors at night.

In Skye, there is shock around the violence of the incidents with residents left reeling by the emerging details of what happened.

A local Free Church minister told me he was opening the church this evening for anyone who needs to talk, find their faith, or come together as a community.

It will take time to comes to terms with this shocking and tragic series of events.