US police offer £11,000 reward to find gunman after British scientist killed by stray bullet as he lay in bed
Matthew Willson, 31, was hit by stray bullet on 16 January while visiting his American girlfriend but the killer has yet to be found
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A US police force has offered a $15,000 (£11,000) reward for information that will help it find the person guilty of killing a young British astrophysicist.
Matthew Willson, 31, from Chertsey, Surrey, died after being hit in the head by a stray bullet in Atlanta, Georgia, as he lay in bed with his girlfriend in the early hours of 16 January.
The academic had arrived in the US several days earlier to spend time with his partner, Katherine Shepard.
After the pair heard gunshots from a nearby apartment building, Ms Shephard phoned the police. Then she felt a small explosion beside her, as a bullet pieced the wall of their room.
“I remember a piece of the wall hitting me on the leg,” the 25-year-old told The Sun.
“I turned on the light, looked round and Matthew was slumped in front of me. I could see he had been shot in the head,” she added.
The local police department launched a homicide investigation, but are yet to arrest anyone in connection with Mr Willson’s death. They hope the financial reward will lead to tip-offs about the person responsible for “recklessly discharging firearms”.
Speaking shortly after the murder, Sgt Jake Kissel, from the Brookhaven Police Department, said gun violence was rare in the area. He described the case as “tragic” and said it was a “very tall task” to piece together what had happened.
Responding to her brother’s death, Kate Easingwood, who travelled to Georgia after the tragedy, said the “world is so unfair”.
“I don’t come from a country that has gun culture or any kind of gun crime like this,” she said. “It’s even more shocking for me that my innocent brother was caught in the crossfire.”
The University of Exeter, where Mr Willson was a PhD student, paid tribute to him, saying he was a “much-loved” part of its astrophysics team.
The Foreign Office is supporting Mr Willson’s family and is in touch with the US authorities.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments