Plymouth Mass Shooting: At Least 6 Dead, Including Gunman, In 'Shocking' Incident

A mass shooting in Plymouth, England, on Thursday evening left at least six people dead — including a child and the suspected gunman, police said.

Three females, two males and the suspect died from gunshot wounds in a "firearms incident" that occurred along Biddick Drive in the Keyham area at around 6:10 p.m. local time Thursday, the BBC reported, citing police.

Authorities believe the suspected gunman fatally shot himself, a report by The Guardian said. Devon and Cornwall Police said two females and the three males died at the scene, while one female was pronounced dead at a hospital.

One of the victims was below the age of 10, according to Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Member of Parliament Luke Pollard.

"I’m utterly devastated that one of the people killed in the [Keyham] shooting was a child under 10 years old," Pollard said in a statement.

He added that more people were being treated in the hospital. "We should prepare ourselves for more grim news tomorrow. Please look out for one another," Pollard said.

The majority of the victims were not known to the suspected gunman, News.com.au reported. The relatives of the victims have reportedly been informed of the incident.

No other details — such as the identity of the suspected gunman and the weapon used in the shooting — have been disclosed by authorities.

The shooting is being classified as a domestic incident and is not believed to be related to terrorism, according to The Guardian report.

"The area has been cordoned off and police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident," Devon and Cornwall Police said, as per the BBC. "Investigations are continuing into the incident and disruption to the road network in the Keyham will remain throughout the night."

Police appealed to the public not to speculate or share pictures of the scene on social media or anywhere else.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel described the incident as "shocking.”

"[M]y thoughts are with those affected... I urge everyone to remain calm, follow police advice and allow our emergency services to get on with their jobs," Patel said in a statement released late Thursday.

The incident was the first mass shooting in the U.K. in 11 years, Reuters reported. The country has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world, and mass shootings are rare, according to the outlet.

Gun laws in the U.K. were tightened after the 1996 Dunblane massacre, where a man who legally owned a firearm entered a school in Scotland and fatally shot 16 students as well as a teacher before killing himself.