Family struggle to understand what turned quiet man into mass murderer

THE family of gunman Derrick Bird were last night struggling to understand what turned the quiet taxi driver into a mass killer.

Police said the 52-year-old was licensed to own the two guns he used in his three-hour rampage in Cumbria, had only one minor conviction, and was not known to have any mental health problems.

His elderly mother, Mary Bird, was said to be “stunned” after learning that her son had murdered his twin brother, their family solicitor and 10 other people before killing himself in a massacre which shocked the nation.