Horror of witnesses as they fled killer’s path
Shaken members of the public reported seeing the killer peering from behind the smashed windscreen of his car, his shotgun poking out through the broken window. Others described the aftermath of his attack, with victims lying dead where they were shot – their faces covered with blankets. Glenda Pears, who runs L&G Taxis, knew Bird and was close to the location of the initial shooting. She said a female taxi driver had to swerve to avoid Bird’s car. “He was driving and she saw the gun. She was hysterical and had to pull over and stop. The gun was hanging out of the window.
“We are just numb at the moment. We just want to know what he’s done it for.” The first shooting took place on Duke Street, Whitehaven, close to where Helen Owens works at solicitors office. “One of our secretaries was out at the time and she saw a guy lying dead on the ground covered with a sheet – she saw his trainers sticking out.”
