Social media giants delete Plymouth gunman’s accounts and hateful posts

Rex Features Ltd. do not claim any Copyright or License of the attached image Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Shutterstock (12275609k) Jake Davison, 23, who has been identified by locals as the gunman who murdered five people before shooting himself dead in Plymouth yesterday. Davison is an apprentice crane operator who is reported to have kicked down the door of a house in Biddick Drive and starting shooting at people inside, which included a member of his family. One witness said she heard he had shot his brother. Armed with a shotgun or (long-barreled gun) and dressed in black and grey clothing he then left the property and began shooting at strangers as he walked along the cul-de-sac before killing another person in Henderson Place. He continued his rampage entering a nearby park where he opened fire on two dog walkers. Police said the shootings were not terror related. Jake Davison gunman who killed five in Plymouth shooting, Devon, UK - 13 Aug 2021
Gunman Jake Davison, 22, murdered five people on Thursday night (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)

Social networks which hosted the Plymouth gunman’s posts about his failed love life said they have removed his accounts.

Jake Davison’s Facebook contained conspiracy theories similar to those pushed by QAnon supporters, with posts about ‘paedophiles’ and ‘devil worshipers’ in the US government.

He posted several vlogs on YouTube in which he complained about being a ‘f****** fat ugly virgin’, described feeling ‘defeated in life’ and appeared to follow a number of pro-gun accounts.

Davison, 22, murdered five civilians last night before turning the gun on himself in Britain’s worst mass shooting since 2010.

He described himself as an ‘incel’, meaning ‘involuntary celibate’ – a member of an online subculture of people who complain of not being able to have a sex life.

Both his YouTube and Facebook accounts were removed by about lunchtime on Friday, and a Reddit account believed to belong to Davison could not be accessed on Friday evening.

Facebook said his was removed under its dangerous individuals and organisations policy, which does not allow mass murderers on either platform.

Google-owned YouTube said the gunman’s account had been terminated under its offline behaviour policy.

These are the YouTube videos belonging to the reported Plymouth gunman Jake Davison who shot multiple people and then himself last night. See SWNS story SWOCshooter. In the videos posted a few weeks before the killings the bodybuilder talks about depression, teenage love and how bad his life has been.
Davison posted video blogs about depression, teenage love and how bad his life has been (Picture: Jake Davison/YouTube)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10157878279657895&set=a.430289402894 Lee Martyn Sophie Martyn **NO PERMISSION PLEASE LEGAL**
Sophie Martyn, 3, and her father Lee Martyn, 43, were among those killed
PLYMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 13: Police teams work near the scene on Biddick Drive following a shooting in Keyham yesterday evening on August 13, 2021 in Plymouth, England. Police were called to a serious firearms incident in the Keyham area of Plymouth on Thursday evening where lone gunman, named by police as Jake Davison, 22, shot and killed five people before turning the gun on himself. (Photo by William Dax/Getty Images)
Emergency services responding to the massacre in the Keyham area of Plymouth (Picture: Getty)

Rules on the platform prohibit inciting violence, including encouraging others to go to a particular place to commit violence or to perform violence at a particular time, the tech giant said.

Google added that it will comply with any police requests made through proper legal processes.

It is understood the Reddit account thought to belong to Davison was suspended on August 11 due to a violation of its policies.

Members of the public attend a vigil for the victims of the Keyham mass shooting at North Down Crescent Park in Keyham, Plymouth after six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening. Picture date: Friday August 13, 2021. PA Photo. Devon and Cornwall Police have named those that died as three-year-old Sophie Martyn and her father Lee Martyn, 43; Stephen Washington, 59 , Kate Shepherd, 66, and Maxine Davison, 51, the mother of gunman Jake Davison. See PA story POLICE Keyham. Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
Members of the public attend a vigil in North Down Crescent Park for the victims of the mass shooting (Picture: PA)

A spokesperson for the social network said: ‘We take these matters very seriously. Our investigation is ongoing.’

Davison launched his massacre with a weapon described as a ‘pump action shotgun’ in the Keyham area of the city shortly after 6pm on Thursday.

His victims included his own mum and a three-year-old girl. All victims have been named and pictured.

Footage of the scene appeared to show a person’s body lying on a pavement, with a police officer shouting at passers-by to ‘go away please’.

The video was repeatedly shared on social media, as local MPs and Devon and Cornwall Police directly urged people not to re-post it.

Twitter said it had removed a number of tweets related to the attack which it said had ‘violated our rules, including our Sensitive Media policy’.

Tonight Devon and Cornwall Police chief constable Shaun Sawyer confirmed that detectives are examining Davison’s social media output as part of their investigation.

MORE : Police gave back Plymouth shooter’s gun licence last month after revoking it

MORE : ‘We must stop US gun videos in UK after Plymouth mass shooting’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Enregistrer un commentaire

0 Commentaires