Ryan was holding one of his most prized possessions - a Chinese copy of a Kalashnikov semi-automatic rifle. Michael Ryan : The Hungerford Massacre. 9 - Marcus Barnard Sandra Hill, was shot while driving; Jack and Myrtle Gibbs, were shot in their home in Priory Road; and Ian Playle was shot while driving into Hungerford on a shopping trip with his wife and two children. He chased me all the way. He had what appeared to be a normal upbringing, although he was perhaps overindulged by his mother. Despite the police helicopter hovering above him and telling him to lay down his weapons, Ryan merely walked away. Prof Jackson says it was at this point Ryan changed his plans. "At the hospital, where my mum was, everyone who'd been shot had been put into the same ward. When PC Wainwright heard it was Michael Ryan from South View, he couldn't put a face to the name. Ryan had murdered 16 people and seriously injured 15 more, but his whereabouts were unknown. When he was 13 his mother bought him an air rifle. Instead, Sgt Ryan said: "I dont know how to tell you this. There he announced that he had commissioned a report on the massacre from the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, Colin Smith. Lance Corporal Carl Harries, 21, a young off-duty soldier and veteran of the Falklands War, was on his way into town, to pick up a radiator hose, when he walked into the midst of the massacre. "If he did have a sexual crime in mind, then that would have been about control too.". As they drove down Priory Road, Ryan shot at their car and Playle died from a single bullet wound to the neck from the Beretta. It was calculated that during the most intense period of Ryans rampage, he had killed an average of one person per minute. 19th August 1987. ]]> That summer afternoon Ryan, a 27-year-old unemployed labourer, killed 16 people . Ryan then walked into Priory Road, where he found Sandra Hill, 22, driving her red Renault 5, with the window down and the music blaring. "We got a letter from the Queen," Mr Jackson adds. She seemed more concerned about her trousers than her wounds. "Breaking in or shooting into a house and killing the inhabitants and then holding the position for a while before moving on, would have appealed to his military ideals and fantasies," says Prof Jackson. "He was trapped and didn't have a viable way out of his situation.". "You know, it's funny. A right little sod. The Whitings' son Matthew, who was 11 at the time, was with his childminder in the playground and saw Mr Butler being shot. When, in March 1996 Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 schoolchildren and their teacher in the Stirling town of Dunblane, Trevor Wainwright decided to write to the Scottish police. Slaughter on a warm summer's day: The Hungerford Massacre. Having created a fort for himself in the Gibbs home, Ryan fired at neighbouring houses, injuring a man at number 62 and a woman at number 67 Priory Road.Ian Playle, a 34-year-old clerk to the Justices at Newbury Magistrates Court, had brought his wife, Elizabeth, and their two young children, Richard and Sarah, to Hungerford on a shopping trip. But she wasn't. Were just waiting until life gets back to normal. Besotted with the military, Ryan bought army jackets, survival gear and masks. Another witness reported that Ryan warned several children to get off the street and go inside. The primary school where Marjorie Jackson was a caretaker had broken up for the summer holidays. Michael Ryan : The Hungerford Massacre 152,574 views May 19, 2022 7.5K Dislike Share Save this is MONSTERS 539K subscribers Michael Ryan was a quiet loner when he was a kid, so he began. His father, Alfred Henry Ryan, a government building inspector, was known for being a perfectionist and was 55 when Ryan was born.His mother, Dorothy Ryan, was over 20 years younger than her husband and was 34 when she had her only son. The Hungerford massacre was a spree shooting in Hungerford, England, United Kingdom, on 19 August 1987, when 27-year-old Michael Ryan shot dead sixteen people, including an unarmed police officer and his own mother, before shooting himself. They flew the police helicopter past the window, but could not see in to the classroom. Similarly the Whitings, for years, simply drew their curtains and refused to answer the door. 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. 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. Then he and his brother Peter went into their home, released the dogs from the cupboard, and started to clean the blood and glass from their kitchen. The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 was passed in the wake of the massacre. 13 - Victor Gibbs At 1.30 pm specially trained officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit were brought in and local police officers assembled closer to town. In the neighbouring forest he found Godfreys body, about 250 feet from her car. 6 - George White However, Prof Jackson said it was likely Ryan had intended to do so. 15 - Ian Playle, Susan Godfrey was shot and killed in Savernake Forest. Read about our approach to external linking. He would become extremely angry if people did not believe him and his mother would often confirm these lies to people, in a desperate effort to help her son feel better. Mr Playle's blue Ford Sierra crashed after he was shot by Ryan. Over 20 mass shootings have occurred in the US since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Michael Payne (uncredited) Ryan Hanley Surgeon (uncredited) Director Ruki Sidhwa Writer Helen Tonge All cast & crew Production, box office & more at IMDbPro Storyline Edit A look back at the Hungerford Massacre (1987) and its impact on the people who survived to one of the worst tragedies of UK history. The bullet had passed through his skull and shattered his brain. Critics said the . Angrily, Ryan climbed out of the car and shot five bullets into the boot. What happened in the woods is the clue to why the shootings happened, Prof Jackson believes. "It was a happy occasion and I think he felt resentful and victimised and wanted to seize control. Marching her away from her two young children, he shot her 13 times in the back. I thought I was safe.". All over Berkshire, the funerals that followed the massacre were deeply poignant. Their car smashed into the back of another car. The police had already received a report, from George, of an armed robbery in progress at the petrol station and were en route to her. If it comes up, he leaves the room or goes to sit in the greenhouse. The Killing Spree That Changed UK Gun Laws: Hungerford Massacre (Crime Documentary) | Real Stories Real Stories 5.92M subscribers Subscribe 3.4K 462K views 3 years ago Explores the case of. ", Several of Derek and Mary Whiting's relatives were shot. 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. No-one blamed me. 33 years ago today, a sleepy Berkshire town was rocked by one of the most shocking mass shootings ever seen in the UK. Robert, his frightened son, escaped by jumping over a fence into the neighbouring school, whilst the rest of the family literally ran for their lives. He ordered her to put her children in the car, which she did immediately, strapping them in and telling them to wait there for her, that she would be back soon. Mrs Jackson noticed he was holding a gun in each hand. Select from premium Hungerford Michael Ryan of the highest quality. Hungerford. The local police station had only two working phone lines that day and the police helicopter was being repaired, delaying its deployment. It later transpired that he had shot the family dog, a black Labrador. As his wife, Mary, says: "So many of our family were shot that day. 2 - Sheila Mason The elder Mr and Mrs Wainwright had been about 300 yards from their son's house when Douglas Wainwright was shot in the head and Kathleen Wainwright in the chest and the hand. Flowers began arriving at the town hall, where the flag flew at half-mast. It was during this time that he lost his caretaker job. Brightwell answered that he did not know at the time but was attempting to find out, and continued to persuade him to drop his weapons and come outside. "My daughter arranged it. Both recreational and agricultural shooting were normal occurrences in the area. He took it seriously.". The Hoddle Street massacre was committed by a former soldier who wore combat fatigues. In addition to this, the local telephone exchange could not handle the amount of 999 calls that were being made, as Ryan wreaked havoc across the suburbs and people desperately tried phoning for help. It is thought he might not have heard the commotion. Still shooting, Ryan then walked to the end of the road, went along a footpath and made his way across some playing fields. They had heard the sounds of the shots being fired and were terrified. Emerging from the house, dressed in a headband and sleeveless flak jacket, Ryan carried a bag filled with food and other supplies. Police in action during a Gun siege in Hungerford, Berkshire. South View became a popular haunt for tourists. It wasnt long before investigators discovered, via ballistics analysis, that her death was connected to those that happened subsequently in Hungerford that afternoon. His real passions were cars and guns. It was about 10 minutes since Mrs Jackson had asked her husband to return home and the two men had no idea of the danger into which they were heading. The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who was on holiday in Cornwall at the time, was notified of the events and kept informed via a special phone line from Downing Street. His face, she says, was expressionless. 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. At about 02:00 she looked out of the window and saw the bodies from South View being collected and driven away. It was one of the worst mass shootings in British history. Two days later, Mr Playle died from his injuries. Despite his elaborate fantasies, however, Ryan was not mentally ill. Medical reports show he had no history of mental illness - in fact, his doctor had countersigned Ryan's gun applications. "They were looking for bullet holes and spent shell cases to collect. "Members of the public were in the station with the police. He then shot her in the back with a Beretta pistol. He got me in my lower back. Either way, he turned away. What she found was houses on fire, people lying dead in their gardens and smashed cars lining the street. "I think he fully intended to fake his own death at home and disappear at that point," says Prof Jackson. Some reports were inaccurate, giving the wrong location. The teenager was still standing up when Mrs Pascoe arrived to help her. 8 - Francis Butler Ryan was 25 when his father died of cancer in 1985. Crossing the street, shooting as he went, Ryan strode towards 60 Priory Road, the home of Victor and Myrtle Gibbs and blasted open the front door with his semi-automatic rifle. Your dad's been shot. "We cope by taking every day as it comes. Without replying, Ryan shot his mother twice in the stomach and once in the leg. Four houses, including Ryan's home at the far right, were later demolished. The Hungerford Massacre on August 19, 1987, saw 16 people killed in a rampage by gunman Michael Ryan. "Writing the letter did me good, but I don't think it would have helped the people of Dunblane.". It was Jane, PC Wainwright's then-wife. He pulled the wheeled stretcher with him and managed to load both Mr and Mrs Jackson and Lisa Mildenhall into the ambulance. I could see her hip bone.". People were frantic to get to their families to see if they were safe and unharmed. Police surrounded the school building and Brightwell worked to establish communication with Ryan and ultimately to persuade him to surrender. I was on the floor. Michael Ryan: The Hungerford Massacre: Directed by Adam Luria. The wheelchair-bound Myrtle was totally vulnerable and Victor threw himself across her to protect her from the crazed gunman. Now, he added a new dimension. She thinks he saw Mrs Godfrey and her children having a picnic and enjoying themselves. The smiling Ryan shot 11 rounds from his semi-automatic at another car that drove into the street. A car drove towards Ryan and he shot both occupants. The letter, complete with golden tassel, is still in its recorded delivery envelope and is kept in a basket in the Jacksons' kitchen. He subscribed to magazines on survival skills and guns, including Soldiers of Fortune, and was a fan of violent films such as Rambo: First Blood (1982). "There was a picture of my dad, dead in a car with a blanket over him. "I knew Id been hit. "She tried to tell Michael to stop and he shot her at close range," Mr Jackson adds. 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?". Popular cab driver, Marcus Bernard, 30, was en route to visit his wife and newborn son in the local hospital. It seemed that whilst he was in the midst of a murderous rampage, he still felt the need to protect children. "If he had the choice - to die from a horrible disease like that, or be shot, I know he'd choose the bullet. They usually hang up if a journalist approaches them and refuse to have their photograph taken in connection with the shooting. With Craig Jackson, Donal MacIntyre, Sean Preston, Michael Ryan. Then the nurse came back. The final shooting took place at about 13:45. Here he shot her 13 times, dropped the groundsheet and returned to parking area. On 19 August 1987, the 27-year-old loner was in licensed possession of two shotguns, three pistols and two semi-automatic rifles. Routine admissions were cancelled, the X-ray department and the blood bank were put on alert, extra doctors and support staff was made available and the victims started pouring in. He put some petrol in his car and some in a canister. They were unable to refuse him as he had no record of mental instability and no criminal record. When PC Wainwright, wearing his off-duty clothes of shorts and a Fred Perry polo shirt, was called into his superior's office, he thought he was going to be told to put his uniform on. They keep meaning to frame it and put it up on the wall. 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. Wouldn't hurt a fly.". Ryan shot Lepetit twice in the arm and once in the back as he fled. The Hungerford Family Help Unit was hastily established in makeshift offices, co-ordinated by John Smith, to help a community suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You are frightening everybody to death. Having murdered Mrs Godfrey, Ryan headed back to Hungerford in his Vauxhall Astra GTE, stopping at Froxfield filling station. "I got into the house and slammed the door. The Housing Department of Newbury District Council made accommodation available for those residents of South View who found themselves homeless after the fires Ryan had started. Thomas Hamilton murdered 17 people in Dunblane in 1996. Ryan's mother Dorothy was shot not far from her home in South View as she pleaded with her son to stop the shooting. Having failed to kill Dean, Ryan quickly returned to his car and drove off towards Hungerford. "Dorothy came past me, and she looked into the car and I remember it as clear as day. On the sunny afternoon of August 19th, 1987, it was market day in Hungerford and Ryan went to Saverneck forest - a place he would often go to shoot his gun and sneak up on unsuspecting. Next to him, in the passenger seat, Ivor Jackson was also shot in his arm, chest and head. Her Majesty the Queens private secretary sent a letter of condolence from Buckingham Palace to Mayor Tarry and enclosed a personal contribution from the Queen. "I didnt know the Masons at No. Susan Godfrey was shot dead in Savernake Forest. In a grove of trees headed by an ancient standing stone, near the cricket pitch used by the school in Hungerford where gunman Michael Ryan holed up, a body last night lay covered by a blanket. Ryans next victim was Francis Butler, a 26-year-old accounts clerk, out walking his dog in the Hungerford Memorial Gardens. That was possibly even worse than hearing it the first time.". Find professional Hungerford Michael Ryan videos and stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses. "He used to say he could follow anyone and they wouldnt notice," said the friend. The event became known as the Hungerford massacre. Even now Mr Jackson has not been back to South View. Another, Eric Vardy, was killed. He arrived back in South View in time to set fire to his home, shoot his dog, chase another dog, and take three guns from his car before killing Mr and Mrs Mason at 12:47. He liked to think of himself as a soldier, skilled at surveillance without being seen himself. "I said he could, and he said: 'When that man shot that man, all of the birds flew out of the trees and shat themselves'. He also knew the day would end in the loss of his own life, so in effect he was choosing when to die.". 33 years ago today, a sleepy Berkshire town was rocked by one of the most shocking mass shootings ever seen in the UK. 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