Twelve people have been killed by a gunman who went on the rampage across Cumbria in north-west England.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10219655.stmTaxi driver Derrick Bird shot dead a colleague in the town of Whitehaven before driving through the countryside apparently targeting people at random.
Twenty-five others have been injured, three critically. Police say they are dealing with 30 separate crime scenes.
Mr Bird's body was found in a wooded area in Boot in the Lake District and two weapons have been recovered.
Cumbria Police's Deputy Chief Constable said: "We are still at a very early stage in our investigation and we are not able to really understand the motivation behind it - or establish whether this was a premeditated or random attack.
"Current indications are that 12 people have died, plus Derrick Bird. And a number of people are also receiving treatment in hospital.
"We are working hard to support the families of those involved and our focus is now on gathering as much evidence as possible to build up a clear picture of what happened this morning."
After the first shooting, witnesses said Mr Bird drove through Whitehaven with a gun hanging out of his car window, then headed south through Gosforth and Seascale before turning inland.
A GP in the town of Seascale said he and a colleague had later certified two people dead.
Dr Barrie Walker said: "The surgery was called and I went out. I've certified one of them dead. My colleague saw another," he said.
"At present there are two people dead and one seriously injured in Seascale. I know one of the victims. She was in the street.
"The second person was on a bicycle and was shot on the bike."
A farmer's son is also believed to have been killed in the Gosforth area.
After the shootings, detectives said 52-year-old Mr Bird drove to the central Lakes in a Citroen Picasso, then abandoned it in the Boot area.
Before his body was discovered people living nearby were urged to stay indoors for their own protection.
Helicopters and armed officers from other police forces were brought in to help apprehend the gunman.
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Mr Hyde added: "We have a number of crime scenes across the county, which are being staffed by police officers, and I would ask people to show a little bit of restraint and respect in regard to those scenes as we try and piece together exactly what has gone on."
AT THE SCENE IN WHITEHAVEN
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Colin Blane
BBC News
A man's body was lying behind a taxi rank in a cordoned-off street, covered by some sort of blanket.
People were being kept away by police but witnesses I spoke to said they had heard two shots at around 1040 BST.
Passers-by in Whitehaven were also talking about other incidents they had heard of so I quickly realised that this wasn't limited to one shooting. Within the space of less than four hours it became clear that the gunman had gone on a shooting rampage.
I heard of a cyclist being shot in Seascale and someone else being killed near Egremont.
The police began giving briefings in Whitehaven and told us a body had been found in woods near the village of Boot and they believed the incident was now over.
But they went on to say they still didn't know how many had been killed or injured.
A major incident has been declared at West Cumberland Hospital, in Whitehaven, where the NHS said all routine operations had been cancelled.
The Accident and Emergency department at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle is also on full incident stand-by, the hospital trust said.
The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in west Cumbria closed its gates as a safety precaution and afternoon shift workers were being told to stay away, though the site has since reopened.
The Whitehaven victim, believed to be a colleague of 52-year-old Mr Bird, was killed at 1035 BST.
A local taxi firm boss, Glenda Pears, said: "We just don't know what's happened.
"The lad that's been killed was friends with him. They used to stand together having a craic on the rank.
"He was friends with everybody and used to stand and joke on Duke Street."
Sue Matthews, a telephonist at A2B Taxis in Whitehaven, said the Mr Bird was self-employed and lived alone. She described him as a "quiet fellow".
An emergency helpline has been opened for people concerned about the incident. Cumbria Police Casualty Bureau Line on 0800 096 0095.
Are you in the area? Do you know Derrick Bird? Send us your comments using the form below.
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Deepest sympaathy to this beautiful place!
SK
