'I've been shot – I hope it doesn't ruin my new hairdo': 92-year-old heroine threw herself in front of crazed gunman as he blasted three in salon
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:37 AM on 23rd August 2011
Gunman: Darren Williams injured three Women including his wife in Newport, Wales
A heroic 92-year-old was blasted in the neck with a shotgun when she leapt in front of a gunman who opened fire in a crowded Wales hairdressers, it was revealed today.
The woman sprang into action after Darren Williams, 45, burst through the doors of Carol Ann’s Salon in Newport, brandishing the double-barrelled gun.
The courageous widow was hit in the neck as she tried to protect hairdresser Rachel Williams, 37, from the attack by her estranged husband.
She first kicked a table towards the 16-stone bodybuilder before stepping between the gunman and his intended victim as he raised the weapon.
But Darren still fired both barrels of the shotgun - hitting his wife in the leg, the pensioner in the neck and another customer in the arm – before fleeing to woodland where he was later found dead.
Neighbouring vet Peter Heathcoate told how he ran to the salon after hearing the shots fired - and helped the injured women.
Mr Heathcote said: ‘I have never seen anything like it. I did not know what I was going in to - whether people had been shot and whether they were still alive.
‘Rachel Williams was lying on the floor and the older lady had blood coming from her head.
‘She was very shocked but said she was trying to protect the woman who was shot, which is amazing.
‘She had tried to kick over a table towards him and it was still there broken on the floor.
‘The old lady was worried about where she had been shot because she didn't want surgeons to shave her hair - because she'd just had it cut.
‘Rachel was very calm and I was trying to reassure her as she was laying on the floor.
Crime scene: Armed police arrived at the scene within minutes, but the gunman had already fled
‘She told me how she had been shot in the leg and that it was her ex-husband who had come into the store.
‘The gun was right there next to me. It was an antique shotgun and looked very elaborate.’
Mr Heathcote said how his team of vet surgery staff helped to patch up the wounded women until the ambulance service arrived.
‘The police and paramedics arrived about two minutes after this happened and the firearms police were also there very quickly.’
The brave 92-year-old, who hasn't been named, was released from Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport after being treated for the shotgun wound.
Shooting: Malpas Road, in Newport, South Wales where the 92-year-old was blasted in the neck with a shotgun by Darren Williams
Police are still investigating Williams' friends involved in hunting and shooting to discover how he managed to get his hands on the illegally-held shotgun.
Williams is believed to have used another weapon to shoot himself dead after escaping from the hairdressers salon in the attack in broad daylight on Friday afternoon.
Rachel was today still receiving treatment for her wounds at the Royal Gwent Hospital. She is stable and is expected to need plastic surgery.
Military and shooting enthusiast Williams was jailed for four months in 2004 after police discovered the ‘arsenal of weapons’ in his bedroom at their home in Newport, Gwent.
It included a stun gun, a .22 pistol, a machete, a hunting knife, cannisters of CS gas and bullets.
But Williams is believed to have kept up his interest in guns and weapons after being released from prison.
Neighbours said the couple were parting - and decided to sell the property for £129,000 because of the impending divorce.
The couple married five years ago but have lived together at the house for about ten years.
They have a son, 15, of their own and Darren has another son, 21, from a previous relationship.
At the scene: Police at the scene of a shooting at Carol-Ann's Hairstylists on Malpas Road, Newport in South Wales
An inquest is expected to be opened tomorrow by Gwent coroner David Bowen.
Mr Williams, 45, from Cwmbran, South Wales, went on the run for five hours before he was found dead in the woods.
Police have confirmed he went to the hairdressers to confront his ex-wife over their separation.
His family have now said he had been suffering in recent weeks because of the 'traumatic break-up of his marriage'.
They said he had 'desperately needed professional medical attention'.
Mr Williams was found at 8.15pm on Friday at Brynglas Woods in the Newport area.
Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with his death.
Superintendent Dave Johnson, local commander for Newport Police, said that Mr Williams ‘enjoyed hunting and the outdoor life’.
He said the double-barrelled shotgun that Mr Williams fired twice at the salon where his ex-wife worked had been recovered but that Mr Williams did not have a licence for it.
Anwar Ul Haq, 60, who lives above and works at Malpas Convenience Store - two doors down from Carol-Ann's Salon, said he heard about three shots and a woman in her 50's ran into his shop asking for help.
He said: 'A woman came out shouting "help, help"... she went to another shop and asked for help, in the mean time the police vans came.
'That woman was frightened, scared, she was when she came out.
The police said to go inside and close the doors. We didn't go outside then as the police blocked the road and after four o'clock the police said to us close the shops and so we closed the shop.'.
April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008