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Girl shot in the head and 'father' found dead, in Rye, East Sussex Girl shot in the head and 'father' found dead, in Rye, East Sussex
(34 minutes later)
A young girl was tonight in hospital after it is believed she was shot in the head by her father who has been found dead, sources said. A schoolgirl is fighting for life in hospital after being shot in the head by a man believed to be her father.
The girl was taken to hospital following the incident in Spring Hill in Northiam, near Rye, East Sussex. The girl, of primary school age, was shot in the village of Northiam in East Sussex, sparking panic among residents as they learned a gunman was on the loose.
Sussex Police said the seriousness of her injuries were not yet known, but that “there is no evidence that the public is at risk”. Children were grabbed by their parents and dragged indoors with doors and windows locked while armed police hunted the gunman.
The force said a suspect had been identified and “is contained”, and officers were not looking for anyone else. They later found the body of a man who was said to be the injured girl’s father and who had turned the gun on himself. Police said his death w as not suspicious.
A police spokesman said: “Armed officers are at the scene ensuring the area is safe. There is no evidence that the public are at risk. Paramedics treated her at the scene but her injuries were so severe that instead of being taken to a local emergency hospital in East Sussex she was driven by ambulance to a specialist trauma centre in London.
“Spring Hill has been sealed off while officers investigate the incident and is likely to be closed for the next few hours.” Chief Superintendent Neil Honnor, of Sussex Police, said: “We are treating this as a tragic domestic incident and do not believe that anyone else is involved.
One villager, Anthony Burr, said he had heard the man had gone to his former partner's home where the girl lived and shot the youngster. ”At this stage we are not in a position to confirm the relationships of all those involved but we can say that the girl and the man knew each other. The man does not live at the address.
Mr Burr, 37, who works in public relations, said: “At round 4pm, I came back and heard what I thought was a firearm about 200 yards from our house. “We are treating this as an isolated incident and there is no evidence that any other members of the public are at risk.”
“Then my neighbour, who my kids were playing with, said there were reports that a father had shot his daughter and was still at large. Anthony Burr, a resident of Northiam, was in his garden when he heard a single gunshot, followed shortly afterwards by the sounds of police sirens.
“Then I started to get reports that he had shot himself. What appears to have transpired is that a father has gone to his ex's house where his daughter lives and has shot her. He learned after frantic conversations with friends and neighbours that a man had shot his daughter in Spring Hill.
“This has all come from neighbours and eyewitnesses.” “There was panic across Northiam,” he said. “We all went into lock-down and shut doors and got the children in.”
Sussex Police later confirmed: “The body of a man has been found at the scene in Northiam. His death is not being treated as suspicious.” He added: “My neighbour, who my kids were playing with, said there were reports that a father had shot his daughter and was still at large.
PA ”Then I started to get reports that he had shot himself. What appears to have transpired is that a father has gone to his ex's house where his daughter lives and has shot her. This has all come from neighbours and eyewitnesses.“
A spokeswoman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said they were called at about 4pm to an address in Spring Hill, Northiam, where the girl had been shot.
“Paramedics treated a female for a gunshot wound,” she said. “She was then taken by ambulance to Kings College Hospital in London.”
Spring Hill remained closed off last night as police searched the area for evidence and spoke to eyewitnesses.