Plymouth shooting: Woman shot by husband wants gun law change

A woman who survived being shot by her estranged husband wants tougher gun laws following the Plymouth shooting.

Jake Davison, 22, who was licensed to own a gun for clay pigeon shooting, shot and killed five people before killing himself on 12 August.

Rachel Williams, from Monmouthshire, wants changes including for firearms to be kept at gun clubs and not at home.

The Home Office said licences are kept under "constant review" by police and can be revoked.

It added: "We are determined to tackle the heinous crime of domestic abuse, and earlier this year achieved a historic milestone when we passed the Domestic Abuse Act - and will be publishing our Domestic Abuse Strategy later this year to transform the whole of society's response to this crime."

• What are the gun laws in the UK?

• Twin's gun law anger after family shooting deaths

In a petition, Ms Williams also calls for anyone with a history of domestic abuse, violence, mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, or drug or alcohol misuse to be prohibited from having a licence and for licences to be reapplied for every other year.

She said some exemptions should be made in some instances for owners including farmers and shooting sports professionals.

Domestic abuse counsellor and campaigner Ms Williams was badly injured when her estranged husband Darren burst into her Newport hair salon and opened fire in 2011.

Rachel Williams suffered serious injuries to her leg

"My left leg was blasted at point-blank range, most of my shin was gone, I'd lost my knee, all they salvaged was my kneecap," she said.

A six-hour search followed before he was found dead in nearby woods.

Her son Jack, 16, was found dead at the same spot six weeks later.

"That's the biggest impact for me," she said.

"That will always outweigh any injuries physically or mentally for me.

"Nobody expects that when you leave an abusive partner your child's going to commit suicide because of it."

Rachel Williams' estranged husband burst into her Newport hair salon and shot her in 2011

Ms Williams said she was moved to create the petition by Davison's 12-minute attack, in which he killed his 51-year-old mother, a three-year-old girl and her father, 43, a 59-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman before killing himself.

"To think it was people going about their daily lives, a little girl killed on a walk with her dad...

'What do they need it for?'

"When you've been shot like I have myself and you know your life can be taken away within a second - I can't get my head around why somebody needs a gun.

"Police officers, trained marksmen, they don't take their guns home with them, they've got to sign these guns in and out - why is somebody else allowed to have a gun in the home, what do they need it for?"

"We know a lot of firearms get stolen in house burglaries, like the one in my shooting," she said.

Who can own a gun in Wales, England and Scotland?

• Police forces issue shotgun and firearm certificates

• Anyone who wants to own a gun has to show they have a "good reason" for doing so, for example for use in their job or sport

• Independent referees provide confidential character statements about the applicant's mental state, home life and attitude towards guns

• Police check for a criminal record and speak to the applicant's GP for evidence of alcoholism, drug abuse or signs of personality disorder

• Applicants must show they have a secure location for the weapon, typically a dedicated gun cabinet. Each certificate is valid for five years

• Police can revoke certificates if they conclude that the holder can no longer be trusted

What do gun owners say?

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), which is based in Rossett, Wrexham, said: "It is in the shooting community's interest to ensure public safety."

The organisation added there was a gap in the current licensing system and called for a statutory obligation on GPs to put a so-called marker on gun applicants' medical notes.

It said: "Their participation in the process is wholly voluntary, and many GPs refuse to participate.

"Since the introduction of medical verification in 2016 the system has been in disarray."