POLICE have confirmed that five victims and a suspected gunman have died following a shooting in Plymouth yesterday evening.

Officers were called to a serious firearms incident in Biddick Drive, in the Keyham area of Plymouth, at around 6.10pm.

“Two females and two males were deceased at the scene,” said Devon and Cornwall Police.

“A further male, believed to be the offender, was also deceased at the scene. All are believed to have died from gunshot wounds.

“Another female treated at the scene for gunshot wounds, died a short time later in hospital.”

MP for the area Luke Pollard said that he was “absolutely devastated to learn that one of those killed was a child” and has offered his deepest condolences to the families affected.

All of the next of kin of the deceased have been located and informed by Devon & Cornwall Police officers.

The force has stressed that the shooting was not a terrorism related incident.

The area was cordoned off and while disruption to the road network continued into the night, some local residents who had been kept away from their properties were still unable to return to their homes some hours later.

MP Luke Pollard updated residents via his Facebook page.

He said that the grim events had left him “lost for words”.

“Keyham is a strong community, it’s a good community, it’s a place where you know your neighbours, where you look out for one another.

“The news that a shooting has taken place, with people dead on our pavements, is just horrendous.”

Mr Pollard urged local people to look after one another in the coming days and said that St Mark’s Church and Ford Primary School would be open this morning for prayers and as a safe place for the commmunity to gather and support each other.

Police have continued to ask any members of the public with mobile phone footage of the immediate aftermath of the incident not to post this on social media platforms and to respect those families who have lost loved ones this evening.