Cambridgeshire shooting – news: Victims were father and son as police probe ‘custody battle’
Two men shot dead in villages in Cambridgeshire were father and son, police have revealed.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder following the shooting of the victims in Cambridgeshire.
Police were called to a property in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, at just after 9pm on Wednesday with reports of gunshots.
Officers arrived to find the body of a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound and are now treating his death as murder. Then at 9.37pm, police received a call from a person in Sutton, near Ely, again reporting hearing shots.
The body of a 57-year-old man was found at a property in The Row with bullet wounds. His death is also being treated as murder.
A neighbour said Gary Dunmore was “so friendly, happy, smiley - just the perfect neighbour”.
A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of today in Cambridge, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area.
All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
Key Points
Three arrested after two men shot dead in ‘targeted’ attacks
Police launch murder investigation following shootings
Friend pays tribute to ‘perfect neighbour’
Victims were father and son, police confirm
Thursday 30 March 2023 13:43 , Sam Rkaina
Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said the two men shot dead in the villages of Bluntisham and Earith were “father and son”.
“Working with local residents and family members we quite quickly established that the two victims were related and they were father and son,” he said.
He said that the “primary line of investigation” was that the incident related to a “familial issue”.
“It’s been widely reported in the media that this may relate to a custody battle,” he said. “I can confirm that is an active line of inquiry for us.”
Welcome...
Thursday 30 March 2023 07:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
...to our live blog where we will keep you updated on the latest from the shootings in Cambridgeshire.
Cambridgeshire shootings: Three arrested after two men shot dead in ‘targeted’ attacks
Thursday 30 March 2023 07:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder following the shooting of two men in Cambridgeshire.
Police were called to a property in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, at just after 9pm yesterday (29 March) with reports of gunshots.
Officers arrived to find the body of a 32-year-old man inside a property with a gunshot wound and are now treating his death as murder.
Then at 9.37pm, police received a call from a person in Sutton, near Ely, again reporting hearing gunshots.
The body of a 57-year-old man was found at a property in The Row with gunshot wounds and his death is also being treated as murder.
Tara Cobham reports:
Arrests made after two men shot dead in ‘targeted’ Cambridgeshire shootings
Police launch murder investigation following shootings
Thursday 30 March 2023 07:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Commenting on the double shooting, detective inspector Mark Butler, from the major crime unit, said: “We have launched two linked murder investigations following the shootings of two men at separate properties in the county.
“These events will be shocking to local people and there will be understandable concerns within local communities, however, we are treating the attacks as targeted and there is no wider risk to the general public.
“There will be an increased police presence in the areas concerned today and officers and scenes of crime officers will be at the scenes throughout the day.
“Our thoughts also go out to the family and friends of the victims.
“Specially trained officers are in touch with them and they are helping our investigation.
“Detectives are now beginning inquiries into how these events unfolded and we are appealing to anyone who was in either area and saw anyone acting suspiciously or a white Peugeot 208.
“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be very important to our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Scan.
Three arrests made on suspicion of conspiracy to murder
Thursday 30 March 2023 07:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in Cambridge, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area.
All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
A car that was believed to have been used by the offender, a white Peugeot 208, and a shotgun have been recovered.
The properties in Meridian Close and The Row have been cordoned off and police officers remain at the scenes.
First pictures from the scene
Thursday 30 March 2023 08:30 , Emily Atkinson
Police at the scene in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, where police found the body of a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound on Wednesday evening.
Witnesses describe police cars ‘racing down’ street
Thursday 30 March 2023 08:50 , Emily Atkinson
Gordon Murray, who lives near two semi-detached houses that have been sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, said he saw police cars “racing down” and armed police shouting on Wednesday evening.
The 62-year-old support engineer said officers later asked him if he had CCTV footage, and when he looked back he saw a white car that made two passes, and on the second pass the car stopped and someone opened the boot.
“I saw the police cars racing down here,” he said.
“There was a lot of shouting.
“I thought it was an altercation or something. Then I saw the armed police.
“They were shouting something to the homeowners. That was it.
“I stood in the window watching.”
Witness describes ‘three loud bangs’
Thursday 30 March 2023 09:26 , Emily Atkinson
Sarah Lown, who also lives near to the houses sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, said she heard three loud bangs on Wednesday evening.
“I didn’t know it was gunshots at the time,” the 38-year-old designer said.
“It was about 9.15pm; I thought it was something blowing over as I heard a bang.
“There are pallets in our garden that I thought could have fallen over.
“I didn’t think anything crazy had happened.
“I heard two more – it was bang, space, bang.
“Whether or not they were each gunshots I don’t know; then police were outside the house.”
Witness recalls armed police resonding to ‘bangs'
Thursday 30 March 2023 10:17 , Emily Atkinson
Gordon Murray, who lives near of the sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, said there were two cars with “three or four” officers in each, “all armed and with their headgear”.
“Earlier on there was another policeman with a torch,” he said.
“My son said he heard some bangs but I don’t know if that was the car doors slamming.
“There was a white hatchback which came around and stopped outside, then about half an hour later he came back and lifted up the boot.”
Mr Murray said the footage was “a bit fuzzy, it was dark”.
He said this happened at around 9.30pm.
Latest from the scene
Thursday 30 March 2023 10:47 , Emily Atkinson
Forensic officers in white suits worked at the scene on Thursday morning, with two bunches of flowers left on the drive and uniformed officers and a marked car beside blue-and-white police tape sealing off the homes.
Neighbour describes ‘three or four’ police cars heading towards Earith
Thursday 30 March 2023 11:11 , Emily Atkinson
A neighbour who works at a local shop said she saw “three or four police cars” going towards Earith, Cambridgeshire, on Wednesday night.
Speaking outside her house just off The Row, in Sutton, she said: “Last night I took the dog out into the garden.
“We saw three or four police cars going towards Earith and thought nothing of it really because we had had a couple of people ragging around the village. But other than that I didn’t really hear anything.”
The woman, who did not want to give her name, said she was “shocked” when she saw the news on Facebook on Thursday morning.
“Especially that it is just on the corner of where I live,” she added.
She said she did not know the victim.
Police at scene as investigation continues
Thursday 30 March 2023 11:39 , Emily Atkinson
Sutton victim ‘lived quiet life'
Thursday 30 March 2023 12:10 , Emily Atkinson
A 52-year-old man who lives just off The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, said the victim “lived a quiet life”.
The man, who did not want to give his name, said: “He kept himself to himself.
“Never really came across him as far as I know.
“Just lived a quiet life, very unassuming.
“Never really saw him about.”
Witnesses recalling hearing helicopter circling in Bluntisham
Thursday 30 March 2023 12:40 , Emily Atkinson
A woman who lives close to a new build cul-de-sac estate sealed off by murder detectives in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire said she could hear a helicopter circling on Wednesday evening.
The woman, speaking anonymously, said: “There was helicopter noise, that was late, around 10pm or 11pm, somewhere around that.
“I was in bed reading my book. It kept circling around, it was for at least half an hour before it went.
“Considering how quiet the village is it’s really surprising to hear this has happened.”
A neighbour said the row of new houses which is behind police tape are modern, built around two years ago.
Retail worker Sharon Coulson, 58, who lives nearby described Bluntisham as a “nice place to live, nice country walks, friendly, everybody says hello”.
Neighbour recalls seeing flashing lights, but heard no sirens
Thursday 30 March 2023 13:10 , Emily Atkinson
Sarah Lown, who also lives near to the houses sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, said there were no sirens on Wednesday, “just the flashing lights”.
She said a man who lived at one of the properties sealed off by police “always had really fancy cars out the front, souped up, cool looking cars”.
“I don’t know if he worked with cars,” she said.
“I had never met him so I don’t know.”
Watch: Three arrested after two men shot dead in ‘targeted’ attacks
Thursday 30 March 2023 13:40 , Emily Atkinson
Arrests made in hotel and on motorway
Thursday 30 March 2023 13:52 , Sam Rkaina
Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said that officers made a “very quick two arrests in a hotel just outside Cambridge”.“In the early hours of this morning we did a joint operation alongside West Mercia Police at which stage a 66-year-old man was arrested on the motorway by armed officers,” he said.
“Following his arrest his vehicle was searched and I can confirm we have recovered a firearm.”
He said the man was in police custody in Worcester and is being transported to Cambridgeshire for interview.
Thursday 30 March 2023 13:53 , Sam Rkaina
Three forensic officers in white suits entered one of the two semi-detached houses that have been sealed off by murder detectives in The Row, Sutton, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday afternoon.
They went in via a gate next to the house rather than through the front door.
Sutton victim described by neighbour as ‘tall, grey haired builder’
Thursday 30 March 2023 14:10 , Emily Atkinson
Samantha Inpey who lives in The Row, Sutton, Cambridgeshire, described the victim as “tall” with “grey hair”.
The 51-year-old IT worker told the PA news agency that she knew him “in passing”.
“I think he was a builder,” she said.
“He was working on his drive at the weekend. He had all the tools for putting patio paving slabs down so I have to assume he was a builder.”
Arrests made outside hotel near Cambridge, say police
Thursday 30 March 2023 14:43 , Emily Atkinson
Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said that officers made a “very quick two arrests in a hotel just outside Cambridge“.
“In the early hours of this morning we did a joint operation alongside West Mercia Police at which stage a 66-year-old man was arrested on the motorway by armed officers,” he said.
“Following his arrest his vehicle was searched and I can confirm we have recovered a firearm.”
He said the man was in police custody in Worcester and is being transported to Cambridgeshire for interview.
Body brought out from Sutton house
Thursday 30 March 2023 15:10 , Emily Atkinson
Forensic officers have brought a body out of a house in The Row, Sutton, Cambridgeshire, into a private ambulance.
Police officers held up a black tarpaulin to shield the view.
Police ‘attempting to establish if firearm was legally owned'
Thursday 30 March 2023 15:39 , Emily Atkinson
Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said that an “active line of inquiry” is “understanding whether that firearm was legally owned”.
He said that “at this stage we’re not looking for any further people in relation” to the incident.
The detective said that “a line of inquiry that we’re focusing on is that those people who are in custody are known to the deceased and have had recent contact with them”.
He said forensic work was going on to establish if the same weapon was used at both locations.
The two people arrested at a hotel just outside Cambridge were “from the local area but we’re trying to identify where they have been staying in recent days”, he said.
He added that the “initial arrests have been made for conspiracy to murder - that is likely to change as information develops in the hours ahead”.
Latest update from the scene in Sutton
Thursday 30 March 2023 16:10 , Emily Atkinson
A private ambulance has parked in front of the victim’s house in The Row, Sutton, Cambridgeshire.
It follows police officers extending the cordoned-off area.
One officer laid flowers on the drive outside the house.
Flowers left for ‘Josh’, 32
Thursday 30 March 2023 16:33 , Jane Dalton
Floral tributes have begun to pile up near a police cordon at Meridian Close in Bluntisham, where a 32-year-old man was found dead inside a home.
His 57-year-old father was found dead inside a property around six miles away in The Row, Sutton.
One of the tributes left in Bluntisham said: “Josh, you shined such a bright light over everyone around you. It was impossible not to smile when you’re around. You’re going to be missed so much.”
Another read: “Rest easy, Josh”, adding: “Your son was a very lucky boy to have a dad like you.
“Your bubbly personality will be dearly missed.”
Body carried from Sutton house
Thursday 30 March 2023 16:50 , Jane Dalton
Forensic officers have carried a body out of a house in The Row, Sutton, into a private ambulance.
Police officers held up a black tarpaulin to shield the view.
Floral tributes in photos
Thursday 30 March 2023 17:15 , Jane Dalton
Friend pays tribute to ‘perfect neighbour’ Gary Dunmore
Thursday 30 March 2023 17:18 , Jane Dalton
A friend and neighbour of the 57-year-old victim in Sutton, near Ely, gave his name as Gary Dunmore.
Stuart, who declined to give his last name, said he knew Gary “really well”.
He said he sent a WhatsApp message to Gary after hearing “gunshots suspiciously close” on Wednesday night.
“(The message) isn’t going to be responded to, I think,” he said.
Paying tribute to the dead man, Stuart said: “He was a legend. He was so friendly, happy, smiley - just the perfect neighbour.
“If he heard you pant in the garden... he would pop his head over the fence and go, ‘You got the right tools mate?’.
“He couldn’t do any more for any person. There was not a malicious bone in his body.
“What tribute could you pay to somebody who could never meet you without the biggest smile?
“There is no way that he would have deserved this at all.”
Police have yet to identify the victim.
Son ‘a passionate guy’, says neighbour
Thursday 30 March 2023 17:20 , Jane Dalton
A neighbour of the older man, Gary Dunmore, said he also knew his son, Josh.
“He was just such a passionate guy,” he said.
Asked what the pair did for work, Stuart said Gary was a builder and that Josh also worked in “the general trade”.
Three under arrest linked to wider family issue, say police
Thursday 30 March 2023 18:05 , Jane Dalton
The three people in custody are thought to be linked to a wider continuing family issue and are are known to each other, police say.
Ch Supt Jon Hutchinson said the two addresses had not been visited by police previously and there was no indication that the crime could have been anticipated by detectives.
Mr Hutchinson said: “This type of crime is extremely rare, and especially this extreme level of violence.
“It is rare in Cambridge to have firearm discharges and to have two in close succession is almost unprecedented in this area.”
Thursday 30 March 2023 20:59 , Katy Clifton
Thanks for following our live updates, we are pausing our coverage for the evening.
