Heartbroken wife pays tribute to ‘soulmate’ dog walker gunned down by incel loner Jake Davison in Plymouth
THE heartbroken wife of a man gunned down by incel loner Jake Davison in Plymouth has paid tribute to her ";soulmate".
Stephen Washington was killed during Davison's shotgun rampage as he walked his two huskie dogs in Plymouth.
The 59-year-old was Davison's fifth and final victim before he turned the weapon on himself.
In a statement today his family said: “Stephen was a friendly, outgoing person.
"He would help anyone at the drop of a hat, he loved his animals and was often seen walking his two huskies in the area.
“Stephen was a devoted family man, a loving husband, father, grandfather and best friend.
Fly high, you’ve earned your angel wings.
Sheila Washington
“Since the devastating events a couple of days ago, our world has been turned upside down in the blink of an eye and he will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the families also affected by this tragic incident.”
His devoted wife Sheila, 58, called Stephen her “soulmate” and added: “Fly high, you’ve earned your angel wings.”
It's understood that after he was shot his huskies - called Storm and Drift - are said to have rushed to raise the alarm.
'FLY HIGH'
Mike Moore, who lives nearby, told : "Both the dogs ran back to Stephen’s home and that’s when the family became concerned.
"Stephen was well known around here because he was always out with his beautiful dogs.
"He wasn't friends with Jake and there’s nothing connecting them so we think it was completely random."
Another resident told The Sun: "Stephen had two huskies — Storm and Drift. He was walking them at the time.
"Storm ran home on its lead and Drift went missing for a while. It’s so sad."
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And one neighbour described the Washingtons as "a lovely family", adding to that Stephen "dotes on his two dogs".
Stephen's distraught son Simon paid tribute to his dad, known locally as "husky man".
He said online: "After tonight’s events we lost our dad, my mum lost her world, my kids and my brothers’ and sisters’ kids lost their grandad.
"Each and everyone of us will miss him deeply. RIP Dad — you will be missed. Love you."
Stephen’s other son Daniel added: "Miss you millions, RIP Dad."
Davison, 22, shot his own mum before randomly killing four other people, including Stephen, during his chilling six-minute spree.
SIX-MINUTE RAMPAGE
Lee Martyn, 43, and daughter Sophie were among those slaughtered as Davison opened fire on a quiet cul-de-sac on Thursday.
Twisted Davison shot the pair at random after first targeting his mother Maxine, 51, in her home.
He then went on to kill Stephen followed by Kate Shepherd, 66, who was rushed to hospital but later died.
Two others were left with significant injuries during the violence, which began on Biddick Drive at 6.11pm.
One of the injured victims has been named locally as Ben Parsonage, 33, who was shot along with his mother Michele, 53.
Davison later turned the gun on himself as armed cops raced to the scene.
🔵 Read our Plymouth shooting blog for the latest updates
Last night hundreds of people gathered to pay tribute to those killed.
Mourners placed candles and flowers at a vigil at North Down Crescent Park in Keyham, Devon.
A chilling timeline of events was revealed yesterday in a press conference by Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer.
The officer said the weapon used in the mass shooting, which has been recovered, was described as a “pump action shotgun”.
They are legal in the UK as long as they have a fixed magazine capacity of no more than three cartridges and a valid Shotgun certificate.
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Sawyer also confirmed Davison, whose social media accounts paint the picture of a gun-obsessed loner, had a firearms licence dating back to 2020.
Thursday's horror was the first "active shooter" rampage seen in the UK since cabbie Derrick Bird murdered 12 people in Cumbria in June 2010.
