Im hearing all these stories about shootings and fatalities in the lakes.
Ive got my dad and brother in the area and cant get hold of them due to my dads reluctance to carry a mobile with him (pillock i know).
anyone else know someone affected by this situation?
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Emma Rowley, Sky News Online
A number of people are confirmed dead and several injured in shootings across the Lake District.
Local reports suggest up to four people may be dead, including one person killed in Duke Street, Whitehaven.
Police are hunting Derrick Bird, 52, following the shootings across the region.
A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that a number of people have been injured after shots were fired in the Whitehaven, Seascale and Egremont areas this morning.
"There are a number of fatalities and police are working to identify the individuals and inform relatives. Ambulance crews are in attendance across the area."
Bird, of Rowrah near Frizington, has abandoned his car in the Boot area and is now believed to be on foot, police said, urging people in the area to take cover indoors.
Officers are also asking walkers and tourists in that area to be vigilant and head indoors if at all possible.
Anyone who sees him or his vehicle should call 999 and should not approach him.
Helen Owens, who works at solicitors' practice Brockbank, Cain and Hall on Duke Street, said one of her colleagues saw a dead man on the street.
"We heard a couple of gunshots and the police running about," she said. "One of our secretaries was out at the time and she saw a guy lying dead on the ground covered with a sheet - she saw his trainers sticking out.
"There's police tape across it so we can't see exactly what happened but saw a policeman running across the street.
"We have also heard there was another shooting at Morrisons car park, which is about five minutes away. We have the door locked."
Witness Alan Hannah described how he fled out of Whitehaven after he saw the gunman leaning out of a car window.
"I was waiting at a red light and looked around the corner. I saw a man with a shotgun at the windown which had been shattered.
"It looked like quite a big shotgun. I just went through the red light and got the hell out of Whitehaven."
Members of the public in the area have been asked to stay indoors until further notice while officers hunt the gunman, Cumbria Police said.
The force said in a statement: "The search has now extended to the Ambleside, Coniston and Central Lakes areas, so police are urging all members of the public in these areas and across the West Lakes area from Whitehaven to Ravenglass to go indoors and stay there until further notice."
One of Bird's neighbours, who did not want to give his name, said: "He's a quiet sort of fella. He kept himself to himself and lived alone.
"He wasn't particularly friendly, he didn't talk to any of the neighbours."
He added: "The taxi he drove was a silver Citroen."
Police said earlier that Bird was thought to be driving ia dark grey/silver Citroen Picasso, registration ND55 ZFC.
I know they would've gone for a walk before leaving, which was later in the day, and the news that the guy is now on foot is even more concerning as my dad will go anywhere across the lakes for a walk.
Hope your family are OK, Folev.
Helpline: 0800 096 0095
My thoughts are with the families of those who have been killed and probably are unaware of their loved ones deaths
bad taste
watching the news on the TV i find myself really hoping that you have heard from your folks.
To all those affected even the gunmans
RIP
Im trying to stay positive and am just assuring myself that they would've been made aware of the situation and steered clear.
Nonetheless, when then return my dads getting a bollocking for his refusal to own a mobile.
good luck i hope it all works out
quite right, selfish cow!
Hope it all works out for you Folev, and heart felt condolences to all those affected in cumbria, so soon after bus crash too
The reason for their 12 hour silence during this time where we needed reassurrance was, "We didnt know".
For a while i was seriously worried and my thoughts at this time are with those families affected. They must be praying that its all a bad dream and i cannot imagine a worse scenario.
I hope all the familys affected have the strength to get through this including the gunmans.
Sad Times
Just can't get my head around how mentally unadjusted someone would need to get to destroy the lives of others, either if they are so low they wish to destroy their own.
sad that he got to thinking this was the only way out
I dud read earlier he was getting a ribbing from fellow cabbies last night.. Wonder if that was the straw that broke the camels back
What suprised me most was his age, 52. Whatever his motive it must have been for a recent cause as surely he hasnt spent his long old life with this bogged up in him. I heard he had a son aswell so i assume he had lived a normal life up until recent times which makes the man behind these horrific events even more unusual.
It will be interesting to see whether he owned the guns he used and whether they were legal.
As I pointed out to her though this is just one of those kind of things that could happen absolutely anywhere so it won't put us in any danger there.
Terrible how he seemed to be just shooting at anyone out of the car window