Pub shooting suspect believed dead, police say
A man suspected of fatally shooting his wife outside a pub in Kent is believed to have died after falling into the River Thames, police say.
Edvard Stockings is suspected of shooting Lisa Smith in the car park of the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt last Friday.
Det Ch Insp Dave Higham said: "Our inquiries have concluded that the suspect is believed to have died after falling into the River Thames."
Mr Stockings's body has yet to be found but searches are ongoing, Kent Police added.
Ms Smith, 43, was shot dead shortly after 19:00 GMT on Valentines Day.
Det Ch Insp Higham added: "This murder has led to the senseless loss of a beloved daughter and mother and our thoughts remain with Lisa's family."
A friend of Mr Stockings, who was also known as Smith, previously said he received a call from him where he told him: "She's dead, I love you. I'll see you on the other side."
CCTV footage captured the sound of three gunshots, followed by shouting and screaming.
A car and gun, linked to the suspect, were found "next to the Dartford crossing", police said. They added that the car was found on the bridge.
Mr Stockings's friend, Leslie Thompson, said he had known Mr Stockings for more than 30 years and the shooting did not make sense, adding: "They were both the life and soul of the party. We really don't know why he has done it. I'm baffled."
He added that Mr Stockings was "unbelievably close" to his father and had been deeply affected by his death two years ago.
"He's had a breakdown," Mr Thompson concluded, adding he was "one million percent sure... [Mr Stockings is] in the river."
A police spokesperson said the force would be assisting the coroner.
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Shooting suspect rang friend and said 'she's dead'
Woman shot dead on Valentine's Day named
Manhunt continues after Valentine's Day shooting
Woman killed in Valentine's Day pub shooting
Kent Police
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Conservative outlet says WNBA denied them press passes to games
Anti-trans 'activist' Riley Gaines and the Fox-owned sports news outlet OutKick claim they are being unfairly targeted by the WNBA. Gaines and OutKick insist they were denied press credentials for two recent Atlanta Dream games and allege that the WNBA is trying to suppress their reporting. Advertisement Gaines, who never became a professional swimmer after leaving college, rose to fame among Republicans after publicly targeting trans former NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas and now has an OutKick podcast where she frequently talks about trans athletes in women's sports. Recently, she has been laser-focused on the WNBA's Brittney Griner, claiming that the Atlanta Dream star center called Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark 'trash' and a 'f*cking white girl' based on Gaines' lip-reading from footage of the game where Griner's statements couldn't be heard. Gaines also implied that Griner didn't deserve to be rescued from a Russian prison back in 2022, Them reported. It's this allegation that Gaines says the WNBA is trying to cover up by keeping her from attending games as press. In an Instagram post over the weekend, Gaines claimed that the WNBA was 'self-imploding' and was attempting to 'suppress any uncomfortable inquiries.' Advertisement Sports writer Jemele Hill disputed Gaines' version of the game, writing on X that Clark wasn't even part of the play Griner was seemingly frustrated by, and that she was actually talking about the referee and said 'trash' and 'f*cking wack call.' 'I get that your whole personality is caught up in stuff like this, so you don't care about spreading misinformation,' she wrote. Gaines and OutKick, which is owned by the Fox Corporation that also owns Fox News, claim that the WNBA is targeting them because they are the only ones reporting on the supposed things Griner said about Clark. The meritless claims about Griner made by Gaines and OutKick have fueled the flames of hate that Black players like Griner and Angel Reese have experienced from right-wing commentators, social media, and even WNBA fans who have been heard making racist comments at a game . Advertisement OutKick attempted to gain press credentials for the Dream's game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 27 and a second game against the Connecticut Sun. The outlet told Fox News that they were denied access in an email from the Sun, where they were told, "Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate your request for a media credential for Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream on Friday, June 6. Due to very limited space, priority is given to those that are associated with outlets that have consistently covered the organization for previous seasons." Gaines has turned her ultra-conservative views into a career, becoming a paid 'culture war' speaker. According to GLAAD , Gaines' anti-trans hate is well-documented. She has declared a 'Real Women's Day' holiday, was part of a lawsuit to challenge trans eligibility in college sports, launched the Project BOYcott campaign to 'celebrate' female athletes who refuse to compete against trans women and girls, and travels nationwide speaking at panels advocating against trans people. She is also currently embroiled in a controversy with Simon Biles, after Biles defended trans athletes in the face of Gaines' misgendering and criticizing a trans high school athlete.
Miami Herald
39 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Man shoots and kills his mom, then is shot dead by brother, Alabama cops say
An Alabama man fatally shot his mom, then was shot and killed by his brother, police said. Officers responded to the shooting at about 5:40 p.m. June 8, the Mobile Police Department said in a June 9 news release. Traci McDuffie, 52, and her son, 25-year-old Brandon McDuffie, were found dead at a home, police said. Investigators learned Brandon McDuffie shot his mom, then shot at his brother when the brother learned what happened, according to police. A motive for the shooting was not made known. Brandon McDuffie's brother, who was not named, then fatally shot him out of self-defense, police said. 'The death of Traci McDuffie is abated by the death of Brandon McDuffie,' police said, adding that Brandon McDuffie's death will be 'presented to a grand jury.' Traci McDuffie was an 'exceptionally kind individual' who will be missed, one person wrote in a Facebook post.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Video of football fans misleadingly linked to Los Angeles demonstrations
US President Donald Trump deployed hundreds of US Marines to Los Angeles following a weekend of anti-deportation demonstrations in June 2025 that saw sporadic but violent clashes between police and protesters. One video of a large crowd chanting "We are Los Angeles" circulated widely online in posts claiming it was related to the recent protests, but it was actually filmed weeks earlier as fans of the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) gathered ahead of a match. "This is definitely an insurrection and threats against democracy," says a June 7, 2025 post on X with thousands of interactions. Advertisement The post shares a video showing a packed crowd of people, dressed mainly in black, marching and chanting slogans including: "We are Los Angeles." Some are carrying black flags and scarves emblazoned with golden writing. Text overlaid on the video dates the clip to June 7 and asks: "Should we view this as AN INSURRECTION Firing up?" Screenshot from X taken June 10, 2025 Additional posts linking the clip to the demonstrations against Trump's immigration policies also circulated on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Threads. The video spread as Trump ordered the deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell what he called "professional agitators and insurrectionists," despite the objections of state and local officials. Thousands of members of the National Guard -- a reserve military force usually controlled by the governor of a state -- have also been mobilized to the city. Advertisement The protests began June 6 after residents attempted to confront federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who were conducting workplace raids in the city as part of the Trump administration's efforts to deport undocumented migrants. The clip shared in the post, however, is unrelated to the demonstrations. Keyword searches for the words "Empire Boys" -- a phrase seen written on some scarves and flags in the video -- led to Instagram and Facebook pages for an LAFC supporter club by the same name. Screenshot from a video posted by the LAFC supporter club "Empire Boys," with elements outlined by AFP The "Empire Boys" Instagram page posted a video of the same scene from a different angle May 18, nearly three weeks before the protests (archived here). Further research uncovered an exact match to the video circulating online that LAFC's official X account posted May 18 as fans gathered ahead of a game against crosstown rivals Los Angeles Galaxy (archived here). The teams played to a 2-2 tie. The game took place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. AFP has fact-checked other misinformation about the demonstrations in Los Angeles here.
