Jay, from Frizington, west Cumbria, died after suffering serious head injuries on land near village of Warcop
Police at a farm in the Warcop area near where the incident happened. Photograph: Frank Chalmers/PA Media
An eight-year-old boy who died in a shooting in Cumbria has been named as Jay Cartmell.
The boy sustained serious head injuries in the incident, which happened on land near the A66, north of Warcop, at about 2.50pm on Saturday.
Police and paramedics attended the scene, and he was airlifted to hospital, where he later died from injuries to his head and face.
Jay lived in Frizington, more than 50 miles west, near the Cumbrian coast.
A man in his 60s who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault, and later held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, has been released on bail.
“An eight-year-old who died following an incident near Warcop on Saturday has been identified as west Cumbrian boy Jay Cartmell of Frizington,” a spokesperson from Cumbria constabulary said. “Jay died after sustaining serious head injuries in an incident on land not far from the A66, north of Warcop.
“As officers continue with their inquiries into this incident, they are encouraging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or the moments leading up to it to come forward.”
The village of Warcop is home to about 500 people, and the tightknit and “very, very rural” community has been shocked by the incident.
“I passed the farm at around about 3pm and I saw the helicopter with its rotors stopped and medics marching up the hill, a lot of police, maybe five police vans,” Frank Chalmers, 73, who lives in nearby Brough, told PA Media. “One car was parked in the middle of an empty field.”
“They don’t usually turn out in that kind of force,” he added.
There is one primary school in the village, and parents said they received an email saying that the child did not attend the local school.
“A lot of us have kids of that age. It’s a very tightknit community,” one parent told the Daily Mirror. “We all have kids at that school so there was panic this morning that it may have been someone we knew.”
“This is an absolutely heartbreaking tragedy,” said the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron. “I am praying for the family of the child and all those affected.”
Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation can report to police online quoting incident number 135 of 28 September 2024, or by calling 101.
