Community marked by grief and lingering trauma
On 12 August 2021 a gunman killed five people in the quiet Keyham neighbourhood of Plymouth, including a three‑year‑old girl. Five years on, the memory of that day remains raw for many local residents and continues to shape daily life in parts of the city.
The perpetrator, 22‑year‑old Jake Davison, began the attacks by shooting his mother, Maxine Chapman, 51, at the home they shared on Biddick Drive. He then moved into the street where he killed Sophie Martyn, 3, her father Lee Martyn, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66. Two others were wounded and later survived. After being confronted by an unarmed officer, the gunman took his own life.
| Victim | Age |
|---|---|
| Maxine Chapman | 51 |
| Sophie Martyn | 3 |
| Lee Martyn | 43 |
| Stephen Washington | 59 |
| Kate Shepherd | 66 |
For people living in Keyham the fifth anniversary has reopened wounds that many had hoped would heal. Neighbours who were at home that evening describe how the normal rhythms of the street were torn apart and how everyday sounds can trigger panic.
“I couldn’t leave the house for weeks.”
That remark, from a local woman who asked to be identified only as Michelle, captures the scale of the lasting psychological impact. She and her children were present when police attended the street and later described the distress of seeing the aftermath close to their home.
Daily life and a changed sense of safety
Residents say the way they move around the area has changed. Helicopters and frequent police activity can still provoke anxiety. Another local, Christine Lamb, who was out walking her dog when shots rang out, described how quickly the neighbourhood shifted from ordinary to chaotic.
“I was walking the dog with a friend when we heard gun shots.”
For families and older residents living close to the scenes, the anniversary is a reminder that some scars are not visible. Local support groups and health services have worked with people affected by the tragedy, but community leaders say demand for counselling and mental‑health support remains high.
City authorities and voluntary organisations have also reflected on how emergency services, policing and public-safety measures responded that night and in the years that followed. The incident prompted wider national debate about weapon access, the protection of vulnerable people and how communities are supported after mass acts of violence. In Plymouth, those conversations continue to be held at street level.
- Five people were killed in Keyham on 12 August 2021, including a child.
- Two other people were shot and survived the attack.
- Locals report ongoing trauma, heightened anxiety during flying police activity, and continuing demand for support services.
On anniversaries like this, neighbours gather in different ways: some attend formal memorials, others mark the date privately. For many, the focus remains on the bereaved families and on making sure the area does not forget those who were lost.
Keyham is part of a city with a long history of community resilience. Yet residents say that the atrocity altered the character of their neighbourhood and that recovery is uneven. As Plymouth reflects on five years since the shootings, the questions that remain are practical as well as emotional: how best to support survivors, how to ensure long‑term mental‑health provision is available, and how to keep communities feeling safe while also respecting privacy and the need to heal.
Local people interviewed for this report expressed a mixture of sorrow, anger and determination. The anniversary revived not only the memory of those who died but also a commitment among many neighbours to look after one another in the years ahead.
