Jake Davison
(Picture: Jake Davison)The gunman who killed six people including himself in a shock mass shooting in Plymouth last night has had his YouTube account taken offline.
Jake Davison, 22, opened fire in the Keyham area in what was said to be the worst mass shooting in the UK for over a decade. He shot and killed his 51-year-old mother, Maxine Davison, in a house on Biddick Drive before shooting three-year-old Sophie, her father Lee Martyn, 43, Stephen Washington, 59 and Kate Shepherd, 66.
In a statement early on Friday morning, Devon and Cornwall Police said that the incident was not terror related.
Since the news broke,The Telegraph, has revealed that Davison posted videos on the social media platform, complaining that he has been “beaten down” in life and expressing sympathy for the ‘incel’ community – a largely online subculture in which those involved believe potential romantic partners are at fault for rejecting them and rendering them ‘involuntarily celibate’. The account also shared videos of Davison weightlifting, ‘liked’ videos about guns and subscribed to gun-related channels.
Now, it has been taken down and displays the following message: “This account has been terminated for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines.”
YouTube confirmed in a statement that it had banned the page.
“Our hearts go out to those affected by this terrible incident,” a spokesperson said. “We have strict policies to ensure our platform is not used to incite violence on YouTube.
“In addition, we also have long standing policies that prohibit those responsible for attacks like these from having a YouTube channel and have since terminated their channel from our platform.”
The page was removed just before 10.30am local time on Friday, the day after the shooting.
YouTube’s rules include restrictions on “offline behaviour”, not just posts on the site itself, and the channel is understood to have been banned on that basis.
In another video, Davison also complained about not having a girlfriend and described women as “very simple-minded”, adding: “Why do you think sexual assaults and all these things keep rising? The reality is that women don’t need men no more and they certainly don’t want and don’t need average men and below average, you have to go abroad to find a woman.”
“I’m socially isolated have no social circle and don’t know any girls. Been in male dominated environments most my life. Last girl I spoke to was when i was 18 years old unless you count cashiers and supermarkets,” he added.
Facebook has also confirmed that accounts belonging to Davison have been removed.
A spokesperson for the social network said the 22-year-old’s presence had been taken down from their platforms under its dangerous individuals and organisations policy, which does not allow mass murderers to be on Facebook or Instagram.
Following the attack, numerous public figures expressed their support for the victims and condemned the violence:
My thoughts are with the friends and family of those who lost their lives and with all those affected by the tragic incident in Plymouth last night. I thank the emergency services for their response.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 13, 2021
There’s much we don’t know about the shocking events in Plymouth. However it’s clear tragedy has hit Keyham.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 12, 2021
My thoughts are with the families and neighbours of those caught up in this nightmare.
I pay tribute to our emergency services who ran towards events we'd all run from.
I am aware of a serious and tragic incident unfolding in Plymouth. Please obey all instructions from the Police and do not post rumour or speculation on social media. I will post news when I have it.
— Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) August 12, 2021
"The darkest day in Plymouth's history since the end of the second World War."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 13, 2021
Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, says Plymouth's Keyham neighbourhood has been "utterly devastated" by last night's shooting which left six dead.https://t.co/HsMXZXjsaY pic.twitter.com/CdXzHoKL5o
Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer of Devon and Cornwall Police has confirmed that detectives are examining Davison’s social media output as part of their investigation.
If you want to know how you can help police with their investigation in the wake of this shocking incident, click here.
