In August 2022, Finlay MacDonald murdered his wife and shot dead his brother-in-law, before attempting to murder his brother-in-law’s wife. Following the violence, questions were raised about the response of the police, the deployment of armed officers in rural Scotland, and firearms licensing. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner has completed two reports on the incident but has yet to make their findings public.
MacDonald’s trial heard that he received a shotgun certificate 15 months prior to the attacks and owned six of the weapons. Although the unarmed police officers were following him after he killed his brother-in-law, they were ordered not to stop him as an armed response team was en route from Inverness. MacDonald subsequently reached Dornie village, where he shot the MacKenzies. He was subdued by his injured victims and the officers who had disregarded their orders and rushed into the home.
The order not to stop MacDonald’s car was supported by the Scottish Police Federation, who stated that it was “absolutely right at that time”. While the officers were seconds behind MacDonald when he shot the MacKenzies, the SPF chairman praised their bravery as “unbelievable”. Police Scotland has 494 authorised firearms officers, and their deployment is based on the prevalence of firearms incidents; the prevalence of legally held firearms is highest in the north of the country, while most incidents take place in the central belt.
According to Free Church pastor Reverend Gordon Matheson, who knew MacDonald, the armed response time “is too long”. The first line of defence for communities, according to Matheson, is ensuring that firearms licensing is conducted rigorously. The use of shotguns in Scottish firearms incidents is rare and lower than with any other weapon. To obtain a shotgun certificate, an applicant must prove that they do not pose a threat to public safety and have a good reason to own one. Applicants are required to be interviewed by a referee, undergo background checks, and have home visits and security checks conducted.
While the circumstances surrounding MacDonald’s possession of his shotgun certificate have yet to be made public, Police Scotland fully supports all investigations into the matter. In England and Wales, five police forces are trialling a process of compulsory routine interviews with the domestic partners of certificate holders or people who have applied for one. The initiative is supported by Rhiannon Bragg, who was held at gunpoint by her former partner. In the wake of MacDonald’s attacks, the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster recommended changes to gun regulations.
In March 2023, there were 131,253 legally held shotguns in Scotland, and a certificate lasts for five years. It is the responsibility of the certificate holder to inform the police if they are diagnosed or treated for a relevant medical condition such as mental ill health. Police Scotland revoked 94 certificates in 2022/23 because it believed there was a risk to public safety. A Police Scotland spokesperson stated that proportionate policing plans for the deployment of armed officers are in place across all communities in Scotland, but that they do not disclose specific policing provision information to maintain operational integrity
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