What we know as parents of boy, 8, shot dead at Cumbrian farm pay tribute to him
Jay Cartmell's parents paid tribute to him as 'loving, kind and full of mischief'.
The parents of an eight-year-old boy killed in a farm shooting have paid tribute to their son as “loving, kind and full of mischief”.
Jay Cartmell died after suffering injuries to his head and face on land near the A66, north of Warcop in Cumbria, on 28 September.
A man in his 60s was arrested at the scene and held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter before being bailed.
Jay’s parents, Leigha and James Cartmell, have paid tribute to their son in a statement issued by Cumbria Police.
They said: “We are heartbroken at the passing of our perfect little boy – Jay Cartmell, eight years. He was loving, kind and full of mischief, the best boy that anyone could wish for and the third corner of our beautiful family ‘triangle’.
“Jay loved being outdoors, the muddier he could get the better and was starting to follow in the footsteps of his dad with his obsession for speedway at Workington, where he first attended aged one years."
They said he was a talented rider and was showing "real promise" for the sport, as well as playing football. They also told how he enjoyed fishing and rabbiting with his father and helped care for the family pets, including four lurchers, five ferrets and his own bearded dragon Spike.
They added: “Jay was extremely loved, not only by us, but by all who met him. He had fantastic friends and always had a smile on his face. We will miss him every day, but his love surrounds us and his memory will never fade.”
What we know
Emergency services were called to the scene in Warcop at 2.50pm on Saturday, following a report that a child had been seriously injured by a firearm at the property, not far from the A66.
A firearm was recovered and the boy was taken to hospital by air ambulance, having suffered life-threatening injuries to his head and face, Cumbria Police said.
A man in his 60s, who was arrested and held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, was later released on bail as police continued their investigations.
A resident of nearby Brough said he was driving by the scene, which he described as “very, very rural”, when he saw medics, police vans and a helicopter.
Frank Chalmers, 73, said: “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. One car was parked in the middle of an empty field.
“It all looked very serious. I think with that level of police presence it’s usually a dreadful incident like a death. They don’t usually turn out in that kind of force.”
The boy was later named as Jay Cartmell, with his parents issuing their statement through police a week after his death.
Cumbria Police is encouraging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or moments leading up to it to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the force online here, quoting incident number 135 of 28 September 2024. Witnesses can also phone on 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
What we don't know
The specific location or name of the farm has not been revealed but the location has been described as being near the A66, north of Warcop in Cumbria.
It has not been confirmed exactly what Jay was doing at the time of the shooting, but reports have suggested that he was hunting rabbits.
We don't know the exact nature of the incident and what led to the eight-year-old being shot, nor do we know how many people were present at the time.
Police are yet to name the suspect, and typically only do so once someone has been formally charged.
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