On 12th August 2021, my husband and I were celebrating our 21st Wedding Anniversary in a restaurant in Exeter, a night away from Plymouth as a treat. We werenât able to celebrate our 20th as we wanted due to Covid lockdown last year.
Whilst finishing our meal, I was then contacted by a colleague who told us that there had been a shooting in Plymouth, with fatalities. What enfolded during that evening shook the city and will continue to do so for a long time.
We live in a beautiful part of the world, a city made up of communities that help each other. We donât expect to have anything like this happen here.
A man went on a rampage, shooting his mum and 6 other people, including a 3 year old little girl and her dad, before turning the gun on himself. Two people survived.
There are really no words to understand why someone would do this. His mental health has been called into question, groups he was part of, his views on women, why he had a gun in the first place. So many questions a lot of us will never know the answers to.
Everyone involved will have their lives changed forever, even those not directly involved. The residents in Keyham and the whole of Plymouth, the emergency services, the police, the ambulance services, first aiders, the air ambulances, the hospital staff, the families and friends and their neighbours. Our thoughts are with them all.
What has followed in the coming days is a sheer amount of kindness and support being given from the people of Plymouth to others and from other cities across the UK. From offering to do shopping for the residents in that area, offering comfort to each other, fundraising for the families involved, events cancelled as a sign of respect. Ours heart goes out to every single one of them.
The city is subdued as we all look at ourselves, our families, keeping them close and sending our heartfelt love to them all.
Look after each other, tell your loved ones you love them and hug them that bit tighter and if you need help, reach out, talk, talk to each other, contact organisations which specialise in this. My door is always open.
We will never forget â Plymouth Stand Together đ
Where to get help and support
There are a number of 24-hour helplines if you need to speak to someone for support, advice or help.
We’ve listed some of them below;
SHOUT (85258)Â is a 24/7 UK crisis text service available for times when people feel they need immediate support.
By texting âSHOUTâ to â85258â a Texter will be put in touch with a trained Crisis Volunteer (CV) who will chat to them using trained techniques via text. To get help or find out more about how Shout works, visit the Get Help page.
Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting victims of crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales.
If you want to speak to someone now, call the free 24/7 Supportline â 08 08 16 89 111 or start a live chat.
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how youâre feeling, or if youâre worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
Livewell Southwest provides integrated health and social care services for people across Plymouth and other parts of the region.
You can call the helpline on 0800 923 9323, which is the Livewellâs First Response Service. It is available to contact 24/7 by calling 0800 923 9323.
Livewell also run Chathealth, a text service used by health visitors and school nurses to support families and young people.
The service is available Monday to Friday 9am â 5pm, excluding bank holidays. During outâofâhours, anyone who texts the service will receive an automated message with advice on where to get help if their question is urgent.
Livewell ChatHealth 0-5 years Parents Service â 07480 635188
Livewell ChatHealth 5-10 years Parents Service â 07480 635189
Livewell ChatHealth 11-19 years Young Peoples Service â 07480 635198
Andy’s Man Club now has four groups across Devon (Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Torbay, Exeter). It provides men with a safe, non-judgemental, confidential place to chat and get stuff off your chest. To gain access during lockdown, any man over 18 can email info@andysmanclub.co.uk.
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