Moment cops shoot man accused of assembling weapons arsenal for killing spree
This body worn footage captures the moment a man accused of assembling an arsenal of weapons for a 'revenge' killing spree at his former primary school was shot by police.
Reed Wischhusen, 32, who a court heard fantasised over infamous school shootings including at Columbine and Dunblane, is seen rushing down the stairs to confront officers with a gun. In videos, which have been shown to the jury, a shot is initially heard while the defendant was in the bathroom, which later transpired to be him trying to shoot himself, the court was told.
As Wischhusen is then accused to have been rushing down the stairs while pointing his gun at one of the firearms officers, three shots are heard being fired. Police later found he had drawn up a chilling 'kill-list' of former classmates, teachers and police staff he wanted to target, a jury was told.
Cops attended the home in Wick St Lawrence, near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on 28 November last year to follow up intelligence Wischhusen had purchased blank weapons capable of being converted into viable firearms. During the visit, Wischhusen is heard on video excusing himself to use the upstairs bathroom, during which time the court was told officers heard a gun being cocked and a single shot being fired.
Reed Wischhusen in police uniform (PA)The video then appears to show the defendant coming down the stairs armed with a weapon, which the court heard was later found to contain live ammunition - and armed officers discharged three rounds. The defendant was hit but survived, spending four months in hospital recovering from his injuries.
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Describing the scene, one of the firearms officers, known as L4, told the jury the defendant had asked if could go to the toilet. He said: "After a short while I heard a loud bang. It sounded like a gunshot or an explosion. I had to do a quick risk assessment. I withdrew my issued handgun and covered the stairs where I perceived the threat to be.
"A colleague was running down and I thought the threat was high. I adopted a tactical position at the stairs to allow them to get out the house safely. It was really quick. I was concerned I did not know where he was. My colleagues were outside, maybe others were outside and there may be a threat to them if he had a weapon.
Police bodycam footage of the police visit to Wischhusen's home (Avon and Somerset Constabulary / SWNS)"I had a degree of concern that I did not know what happened - so I shouted to him to come to the top of the stairs He came to the top of the stairs, and pointed his gun directly at me. I thought I was going to die. I can recall saying things like 'drop the gun, put the gun down.' He didn't do that. He rushed down the stairs towards me. The gun was pointed directly towards me.
"It was all so quick I started to move away and I fired two shots. It happened so quickly. I withdrew towards the door. I fired a further shot and he dropped to the ground. He was still coming towards us with handgun pointed towards me." The officer told the court the defendant then "slumped on his side" and he was restrained in handcuffs.
The officer added: "I could recognise he was severely injured and we gave him first aid, and saved his life. At one point he reached for the gun. one of my colleagues stopped him and he kept trying to kick out. It came in waves as we were giving treatment. He was saying he wanted to die."
A firearms officer said he thought he was going to die (Avon and Somerset Police / SWNS)The defendant was later charged with multiple firearms offences and has gone on trial at Bristol Crown Court. Opening the case, prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC said over a "sustained period of time" the defendant had developed a "macabre interest in infamous killers" such as Thomas Hamilton, the Dunblane shooter, Raoul Moat, and an American cop killer.
He told the court Wischhusen also obsessed about mass shootings and bombings such as Columbine and the Oklahoma bombing and had sought unlawfully to build a small armoury of firearms and explosives." The trial heard he had drawn up a 'revenge-list' of those he wanted to kill that documented planned attacks on his old school and Avon and Somerset Police HQ.
The court was told that during a police interview, Wischhusen claimed the incident on November 28 was a 'suicide attempt' and he shot himself before running at the officers 'hoping they would kill me.' Referring to his 'kill-list' he accepted he had a 'macabre interest' in mass shootings but denied any intention to carry out the shooting. He allegedly added: "It is just fantasy, that is all."
Footage the court heard appears to show Wischhusen's gun after he'd been shot (Avon and Somerset Police / SWNS)Another neighbourhood beat officer, known as N8, who attended the house, told the court he went into the garden to seek 'hard cover' as the two firearms officers on the scene drew their weapons. Giving evidence, the officer said: "It was a bit surreal. We expect risk in our job. But you never expect to be in that situation. As an officer that is not armed, I felt extremely vulnerable.
"As they (the firearms officers) stepped back in - I did not know if they were going to come out or if he was going to come out. It was a difficult moment. They started to shout 'put the gun down, put the gun down and then there were gun shots. I did not know if they had been shot or if he had been shot - but I knew I had to do something there and then so I looked into the house.
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"I stepped in and could see they were restraining him - he had clearly been shot. I could see what I believe to be a very small pistol on the floor that wasn't there earlier." To treat his wounds, they had to take his jacket off and remove handcuffs and the officer said the defendant tried to reach for his pistol. He added: "I pushed the gun away."
Wischhusen denies charges of having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, having an explosive substance, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate.
The trial continues.
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