Michael Ryan was a quiet loner when he was a kid, so he began pretending to be a military trained survivalist as an adult. After some time, young Hannah unbuckled their seatbelts, so they could go in search of their mother. Helicopters were hovering over Hungerford. "He used to say he could follow anyone and they wouldnt notice," said the friend. Marching her away from her two young children, he shot her 13 times in the back. Then she phoned the building firm where her husband Ivor was a bricklayer, and asked for a message to be passed on. Everyone remembers the silence. At around 4 pm, the Royal Air Force hospital in nearby Wroughton contacted the Princess Margaret Hospital to inform them that they could take the next two serious and six minor casualties. Because the road was blocked by PC Brereton and Mr White's car, he and his partner could not drive their ambulance up, so he went on foot. Four houses, including Ryan's home at the far right, were later demolished. Further delays were caused by the firearms squad being in training about 40 miles away. "What he did was the ultimate taking back of control. He wounded a further 15 before turning the gun on himself. She had been to check on the building, which was just the other side of the street from her South View home, and was returning to her house for lunch when a springer spaniel ran past. As Mr White turned his Toyota Crown into South View, he was shot in the head and died instantly. "My daughter arranged it. Ryan, an unemployed laborer and an antique dealer, was walking in Hungerford, Berkshire, on a summer afternoon when he targeted his first victim - a mother of two children in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, at 12:30 pm. He also had a more sinister motivation for visiting the woodland. This time, close-up. She ducked below her counter just as a bullet pierced the safety glass above it and ricocheted through the small shop behind her. "After what happened, lots of people split up," says Ivor Jackson. He told his wife to stay indoors with the little girl she was babysitting and headed off to Hungerford town centre, first to a newsagent to buy some maps and then to the police station. "Then he shot her again, twice, in the back, from about four inches away.". Adding to the sound of gunfire in the area was the fact that the Thames Valley firearms squad were in training, about 40 miles away. People later commented that his mental instability became increasingly apparent following the death of his father. Still shooting, Ryan then walked to the end of the road, went along a footpath and made his way across some playing fields. Mildenhall survived the shooting.Kenneth Clements was walking along the footpath with his family, towards South View, when Ryan appeared and shot him once, killing him instantly. "If he did have a sexual crime in mind, then that would have been about control too.". She was hit in the legs and the hips. "It's difficult to ascertain exactly how much he planned it, but I think it was well in advance and right down to minor details," says Dr Yardley. Not able to stand by and idly watch people suffer, he had repeatedly risked his life to help a number of victims, giving first aid where he could and solace to those having lost loved ones. hungerford massacre photos. But, he reasoned, it was his day off. "Writing the letter did me good, but I don't think it would have helped the people of Dunblane.". Mr Whiting did not understand. Michael Ryan murdered 16 people before turning the gun on himself. Access was blocked for the fire engine called to deal with the fire Ryan had started in his own home and which had already spread to three neighbouring properties. "She tried to tell Michael to stop and he shot her at close range," Mr Jackson adds. His wife and children had been in the car but were unhurt. It was on August 19 1987 that loner and gun fanatic Michael Ryan went on a shooting rampage in Hungerford, a market town in Berkshire. Ryan, who was heavily armed, forced 33-year-old Susan Godfrey, who was on a picnic with her children, to put them in her car and "It was a massacre," she says. When that didn't bring him the respect he was looking for, he grabbed his guns and set out to kill as many people as he could. Thirty years later, the events of that day are rarely discussed by those affected. He told people he had served in the Second Parachute Regiment of the British armed forces, that he was getting married, and that he owned a gun shop. The Jacksons had loved their home on South View, with its large garden, and were in the process of buying it. She thinks he saw Mrs Godfrey and her children having a picnic and enjoying themselves. Semi-automatic rifles Ryan used during his rampage. Ryan used a semi-automatic rifle, an M1 Carbine and a Beretta pistol to carry out a string of attacks in the village. Its inhabitants refer to the shooting as "The Tragedy", almost as if it were a natural disaster. The act banned semi-automatic and pump-action rifles; weapons which fire explosive ammunition; short shotguns with magazines; and elevated pump-action and self-loading rifles. In the neighbouring forest he found Godfreys body, about 250 feet from her car. Another witness reported that Ryan warned several children to get off the street and go inside. I believe Ryan had probably been fantasising about it on a low level, but the events that day - and his personality type - led to it. Hungerford. She knew her husband was dead. 4 - PC Roger Brereton It was a good day to spend in the garden - hot and sunny. This powerful mix of emotions is often later expressed in an inappropriately violent response. She seemed more concerned about her trousers than her wounds. 15 - Ian Playle, Susan Godfrey was shot and killed in Savernake Forest. Meanwhile, a police officer had noticed Godfreys empty car with open doors and had gone to investigate. "Theres no two ways about it. He then went back into the house, used the five-litre can of petrol to soak everything he could, and set the house on fire.Into his car, Ryan had packed military clothing, a large amount of ammunition and a first aid kit. "There were no big wounds at the back of Lisa's legs. Storms survived the shooting. There he announced that he had commissioned a report on the massacre from the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, Colin Smith. He saw Mr White and Mr Jackson in the car and Mr Clements - who had been walking his dog with his family - lying dead on the footpath. Press intrusion is something the Jacksons continue to feel very strongly about. He chased me all the way. Amongst others also later commended for their bravery were ambulance-women Hazel Haslett and Linda Bright, who had been shot at by Ryan but who had continued working selflessly late into the night to help other victims.It was reported in the tabloid newspapers that following the public announcement of Ryans death, the people of Hungerford reacted with relieved delight. Seventy-eight bullet holes were found. Having failed to kill Dean, Ryan quickly returned to his car and drove off towards Hungerford. The Hungerford Massacre on August 19, 1987, saw 16 people killed in a rampage by gunman Michael Ryan. The letter, complete with golden tassel, is still in its recorded delivery envelope and is kept in a basket in the Jacksons' kitchen. Ryan then abandoned his M1 carbine in the Memorial Gardens. The woman did not believe them at first but agreed to help them find her. The Hungerford police were already undertaking a manhunt for the killer and a police helicopter spotted Ryan. Jackson played dead and survived the shooting.He heard what happened next, as Dorothy Ryan, returning home from some shopping, arrived at the scene in her car. Dr Yardley says Ryan would have learned how to treat women from how his father treated his mother. Ian Playle, the last victim to be fatally shot, had in fact been warned of the danger in South View by police. Julian Knight killed seven people in Melbourne. Seeing two of his neighbours, Roland and Sheila Mason, in their back garden, he shot Roland six times and Sheila once, in the head. They flew the police helicopter past the window, but could not see in to the classroom. The manager later reported that Ryan spent a lot of time at the club and that he was a very good shot, showing consistent accuracy over large distances. Whilst she waited for help to arrive, she watched Ryan jog up and down the road, shooting at anything that moved. I probably did three or four of these checks a week. Ron Tarry, Hungerfords Mayor, claimed that the locals were in shock and speaking in hushed tones and that it was the press and others who had flocked to the scene who were doing the drinking in pubs. Another reporter followed their sister home from the hospital. Typically, by the time people got through to the 999 system, Ryan had gone elsewhere. "They couldnt cope. Former mummy blogger Clemmie Hooper is facing a midwifery misconduct hearing - three years after she confessed to trolling other influencers on a gossip forum. "And I hear the arguments of the gun lobby, who want to preserve the right to bear arms, and I think: 'You should come here and see what guns did to Hungerford. Read more: Amazing archive photos show the changing face of Reading in the 1960s, Read more: Caversham Park Village from the air 50 years ago. Mark Howe murdered his mother Katrina Wardle in a brutal knife attack. Bob Barclay, a local builder and nearby resident, risking his own life, bravely ran out and dragged Storms from his car, managing to half crouch and half run with Storms into the safety of his garden. "I turned to move away and he shot me. I couldn't walk. What she found was houses on fire, people lying dead in their gardens and smashed cars lining the street. A few moths before the massacre, Ryan joined the Tunnel Rifle and Pistol Club, in Wiltshire. "I think she either refused to [have sex] or resisted," he said. "I went to help and she said Michael Ryan had shot her. He was making his way to a part-time gardening job in the nearby village of Inkpen. Dr Yardley and Prof Jackson both believe that Ryan did not "snap" and carry out the killings. This seemed to fit the profile of Michael Ryan. If this was his plan, it fell to pieces when his car would not restart. "I put two and two together and assumed that the armed robbers from Froxfield had been cornered in Hungerford," he said. "The station was locked, so I let myself in with a key. He took it seriously.". He then asked the time and was silent for a while. In a small village 60 miles west of London, at 12:30 in the afternoon, 27-year-old Michael Ryan shoots a mother dead. Ryan stormed into the shop and again aimed his rifle at Dean. He would insist on lying down on the back seat of the car if we ever went out, so he couldn't be seen. Sent them away.". The report also said the operation was hampered by press helicopters making so much noise it was difficult for police on the ground to hear or relay instructions. Angela Wrightson: A chaotic life and brutal death. Thirty years since the Hungerford tragedy. Residents of the area were becoming increasingly worried as they continued to call for emergency help and none arrived. And strictly speaking, it was not his responsibility; Froxfield, though just outside Hungerford, was in Wiltshire rather than Berkshire and beyond the jurisdiction of Thames Valley Police. "He was dead after all. 20th August 1987. The incident prompted the government to change gun laws, banning semi-automatic and pump-action rifles. There he announced that he had commissioned a report on the massacre from the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, Colin Smith. AETNUK All Rights Reserved. "I rushed back to check on Jane and on the way I saw smoke coming up from South View [a nearby street]. That's not him. The wheelchair-bound Myrtle was totally vulnerable and Victor threw himself across her to protect her from the crazed gunman. He noticed the blue flashing light on the police car and decided to stroll up to ask the officer what was going on. But Ryan had moved. I had been the one to carry out the checks for Ryans firearms licence.". Changing his mind, he retrieved it and carried on walking, away from town. She said: 'Oh no Ivor, not you.'". As he drove the three-and-a-half miles a news report came on the radio about a suspected armed robbery at a petrol station in Froxfield. February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . She managed to drag herself into her house and survived. A single man, unemployed and living with his mother, with no evidence of a romantic or sexual relationship in his life, he perhaps had precious little to be happy about. "He was going to set fire to his mother's house and drive away, leaving the police to believe he'd died in the fire.". The teenager was still standing up when Mrs Pascoe arrived to help her. In a further twist of fate, the local police helicopter was in for repair but police mechanics eventually made it ready for flight and it was deployed at around the time Ryan shot his mother. The Hungerford Massacre on August 19, 1987, saw 16 people killed in a. But she wasn't. This Wednesday was no different, with the schools on holiday, many people were taking advantage of the good weather. Dorothy Ryan tried to reason with her son. Now, as his colleague, quantity surveyor George White, drove him home to check on his wife, they came across Ryan. Meanwhile, police were busy getting some people to safety and preventing others from going where they thought Ryan might move to next. Dr Gregory Moffat, a childhood aggression specialist, claimed that victims of bullying are generally small, weak, lack confidence and are loners. Find out how you can get the latest news from BerkshireLive delivered straight to your inbox. Peter Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attacking seven other women. He found low-paid work as a caretaker at a girls school. Two more vehicles driving along the road were shot at. Lisa Mildenhall had been in the garden with her sister and two children from another house. Dorothy Ryan, Michaels mother, was a lunchtime supervisor at the primary school where Mrs Jackson worked. Ryan had been targeting people he happened across in streets and gardens. I saw Robert Clements hed been walking the dog with his dad, Ken, and just witnessed him shot dead in South View. The British Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd, travelled to Hungerford on Sunday, 23 August 1987. Now, he added a new dimension. However, the jovial atmosphere was soon to be shattered and peoples lives changed forever.Savernake Forest, a popular recreational area seven miles from Hungerford, was a favourite haunt of Ryans, where he would spend great deals of time pretending to be on army manoeuvres. Popular cab driver, Marcus Bernard, 30, was en route to visit his wife and newborn son in the local hospital. Their inability to defend themselves against their bullies means that shame, guilt, anger, hate and the need for revenge builds inside them. Every single time.". At about 16:45, police entered the playground. Emerging from the house, dressed in a headband and sleeveless flak jacket, Ryan carried a bag filled with food and other supplies. He cannot even pass the end of the road. A fellow park visitor, Myra Rose, found the children wandering around and they told her their mother had been shot. Having murdered Mrs Godfrey, Ryan headed back to Hungerford in his Vauxhall Astra GTE, stopping at Froxfield filling station. Ryan looked in through the kitchen window and pointed his gun at her. The town had long been a tourist destination. "It hasn't got any easier. In less than an hour, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had killed 12 of their classmates and 1 teacher, injuring 24. Ryan then went to Froxtield petrol station, where he was watched by Mrs Kakoub Dean, wife of the owner, as he filled up his metallic silver Vauxhall Astra GTE, as well as a five-litre can. I've never run so fast. He explained who he was and his experience, and offered sympathy. 13 - Victor Gibbs 7 - Dorothy Ryan Moving closer, he noticed the rear window of the police car had been shot out. It's difficult. Large crowds attended the funerals of Ryan's victims, Trevor Jackson had first heard of the shootings when a colleague asked: "What's happened to your parents?". The dog and its pursuer rounded a bend before disappearing from view. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Eventually, shots were heard coming from John O'Gaunt School. As Mr Playle rounded a bend in Priory Street, Ryan fired a single shot. In 1987, Michael Ryan committed a killing spree that left sixteen dead and sixteen injured. That summer afternoon Ryan, a 27-year-old unemployed labourer, killed 16 people . I could smell cordite in the air. Ryan was well-known for driving "like a bat out of hell" - the only time he had been in trouble with the police was for breaking the speed limit. 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