Gunman plotted mass shootings from ‘house of horrors’, police say

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A gunman fixated on the Dunblane attacker plotted mass shootings and built an armoury of weapons and explosives from his “house of horrors”, police have said.

Reed Wischhusen, 32, was seen by those who knew him as a reliable and polite Lidl warehouse worker, who lived with his father in a property in the quiet Somerset village of Wick St Lawrence.

But when police received intelligence that he had been buying blank-firing weapons, they arrived at the property and began to uncover what they would later describe as its “dark secret”.

There were homemade weapons including hand guns, a sub-machine gun, modified air rifle, ammunition, bombs, grenades and poison.

Wischhusen had a genuine police uniform for Avon and Somerset Police, his local force, and body armour, handcuffs, a baton, police badges, gloves, a gas mask and a wig.

He had written a document, totalling 1,700 words, entitled Revenge, which detailed how he would carry out three phases.

The first of these was a hitman-style attack on 10 people, disguising himself with an outfit and wig. Then he would go to his former school, shoot teachers and throw pipe bombs.

Wischhusen’s final phase contained two options, both involving detonating bombs and shooting police at Avon and Somerset Police’s headquarters in Portishead, before taking his own life.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Dewfall, who led the investigation, said: “Reed Wischhusen’s plans are terrifying. Had he not been caught when he was, the consequences simply do not bear thinking about.

“He claimed his plans were merely fantasy but it’s clear he was actively working towards acting on them, with many of the items he identified as needing for his attacks recovered from his address.

“He had explosive substances and firearms capable of causing lethal harm while, chillingly, he also had Avon and Somerset Police uniform.

“While the weapons he built were crudely constructed, they were extremely dangerous.

“Among those he admitted handing in during a firearms amnesty was a fully operational sub-machine gun, which was loaded with ammunition.

“Incidents of this nature are thankfully few and far between, but when they do happen our officers are ready to respond to them.

“They are also a stark reminder of the dangers officers face every day. They put themselves on the line to keep the public and their colleagues safe.

“This was a challenging incident and has been a complex investigation and I’d like to thank all of my colleagues for the commitment they have demonstrated.

“It is because of their courage and dedication that a dangerous man has been brought to justice.”