Two men shot dead in 'linked incidents' in different villages as three arrested
A dad and son were shot dead in two villages just miles apart in what police have said are linked "targeted" attacks.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, Cambridgeshire Police said, adding they do not believe there is a risk to the public.
Officers arrived to find the body of a 32-year-old man inside a property with a gunshot wound and are now treating his death as murder.
The force said that at 9.37pm police received a call from a person in Sutton, near Ely, again reporting hearing gunshots.
The body of a 57-year-old man was found at a property in The Row with gunshot wounds and his death is also being treated as murder.
Neighbours heard shouting and 'bangs' as two men shot dead in different villages
Police confirmed they are investigating whether the attacks are linked to a "familial issue", and said reports of a custody battle are "an active line of enquiry".
Police and forensics at the scene in Meridian Close (PA)Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said the two victims were "father and son".
He said: "Working with local residents and family members we quite quickly established that the two victims were related and they were father and son," he said.
He said that the "primary line of investigation" was that the incident related to a "familial issue".
"It's been widely reported in the media that this may relate to a custody battle," he said. "I can confirm that is an active line of inquiry for us."
Police confirmed they are investigating whether the attacks are linked to a "familial issue" (PA)The roads in Bluntisham and Sutton are around six miles apart.
Police said they were not in a position to name either victim as formal identification has not been carried out.
A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in Cambridge, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area.
All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
The roads in Bluntisham and Sutton (pictured) are around six miles apart (PA)A car that was believed to have been used by the offender, a white Peugeot 208, and a shotgun have been recovered.
Dad and son shot dead just miles apart in 'targeted attacks over custody battle'
Gordon Murray, who lives near two semi-detached houses that have been sealed off in Sutton, said he saw police cars "racing down" and armed police shouting last night.
The support engineer said officers later asked him if he had CCTV footage, and when he looked back he saw a white car that made two passes, and on the second pass the car stopped and someone opened the boot.
"I saw the police cars racing down here," he said.
Flowers left at the scene in The Row, Sutton (PA)"There was a lot of shouting. I thought it was an altercation or something. Then I saw the armed police. They were shouting something to the homeowners. That was it.
"I stood in the window watching."
Mr Murray said there were two cars with "three or four" officers in each, "all armed and with their headgear".
"Earlier on there was another policeman with a torch," he said. "My son said he heard some bangs but I don't know if that was the car doors slamming.
The properties have been cordoned off and police officers remain at the scenes (PA)"There was a white hatchback which came around and stopped outside, then about half an hour later he came back and lifted up the boot."
Mr Murray said the footage was "a bit fuzzy, it was dark".
He said this happened at around 9.30pm.
The car "came around twice", Mr Murray added, and when someone opened the boot he "couldn't see him get anything out, it was very fuzzy".
He said he does not know if the homes sealed off by police are rental properties but believes "a guy on his own" stays there.
Uniformed officers beside the cordoned off scene in Bluntisham today (PA)Forensic officers in white suits worked at the scene this morning, with two bunches of flowers left on the drive and uniformed officers and a marked car beside blue-and-white police tape sealing off the homes.
Meridian Close has young families residing on the road, with children leaving for school with their parents in cars this morning as police let them in and out of the large cordoned area.
Dog walkers were using the woods and orchard as passersby asked questions to police about the cordon in place.
Bluntisham parish councillor Frank Hudson, 80, who has lived in the village for 78 years, said: "I only heard this morning - I was a bit shocked.
"It used to be orchards before the houses were built there, it threw me to hear the news. The residents will be very very upset. I've never known anything like this to happen before."
Meridian Close has young families residing on the road, which has been cordoned off (Phil Harris)Meanwhile, a 52-year-old man who lives just off The Row said the victim "lived a quiet life".
The man, who did not want to give his name, said: "He kept himself to himself. Never really came across him as far as I know.
"Just lived a quiet life, very unassuming. Never really saw him about."
Samantha Inpey, who lives in The Row, described the victim as "tall" with "grey hair".
The 51-year-old IT worker said that she knew him "in passing", adding: "I think he was a builder. He was working on his drive at the weekend.
"He had all the tools for putting patio paving slabs down so I have to assume he was a builder."
Neighbours said they heard "banging and shouting" last night (Phil Harris)And a neighbour who works at a local shop said she saw "three or four police cars" going towards Earith, Cambridgeshire, on Wednesday night.
Speaking outside her house just off The Row, in Sutton, she said: "Last night I took the dog out into the garden.
"We saw three or four police cars going towards Earith and thought nothing of it really because we had had a couple of people ragging around the village. But other than that I didn't really hear anything."
The woman, who did not want to give her name, said she was "shocked" when she saw the news on Facebook on Thursday morning.
"Especially that it is just on the corner of where I live," she added.
She said she did not know the victim.
Police officers at Meridian Close this morning (Phil Harris)Detective Inspector Mark Butler, from the major crime unit, said: “We have launched two linked murder investigations following the shootings of two men at separate properties in the county.
“These events will be shocking to local people and there will be understandable concerns within local communities, however, we are treating the attacks as targeted and there is no wider risk to the general public.
“There will be an increased police presence in the areas concerned today and officers and scenes of crime officers will be at the scenes throughout the day.
“Our thoughts also go out to the family and friends of the victims.
“Specially trained officers are in touch with them and they are helping our investigation.
“Detectives are now beginning inquiries into how these events unfolded and we are appealing to anyone who was in either area and saw anyone acting suspiciously or a white Peugeot 208.
“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be very important to our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Scan.
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