The Self-Proclaimed ‘Incel’ Who Went On A Murder Spree

In 2021, 22 year old Jake Davison was living with his mother, Maxine, in the English city of Plymouth.

From an early age, Jake found it difficult to fit in with his peers. He was later diagnosed with ADHD and autism, conditions that shaped much of his childhood and adolescence. Following his diagnosis, he was enrolled at Mount Tamar School, a specialist institution that supports children with special educational needs.

During his third year at the school, a counsellor who met with Jake for a review meeting observed his intense fascination with firearms and his strong desire to work with them. Not interpreting this as a cause for concern at the time, the counsellor suggested that Jake consider joining the Army Cadets.

By November 2016, however, the same counsellor received a worried phone call from Jake’s mother. She expressed concern that her son was becoming increasingly withdrawn and developing an unhealthy obsession with deadly weapons.

The counsellor met with Jake again to discuss his future career prospects, and he was outspoken about his desire to work in a gun shop, describing it as his true passion.

With concerns now heightened, the counsellor escalated the matter to her manager and requested that Jake be referred to a crime prevention program. Unfortunately, this referral was never acted upon.

After leaving school, Jake secured work as an apprentice crane operator. Yet, while his co-workers socialised in their free time, Jake often retreated to his bedroom, where he posted videos on YouTube under the username ‘Professor Waffle’.

Unlike typical light-hearted or gaming content, Jake’s videos were filled with vitriol, reflecting both his declining mental health and his deep involvement with the incel subculture.

The incel subculture has grown in prominence in recent years, particularly online, as some young men seek communities that reinforce feelings of rejection and resentment. The term “incel” refers to individuals who see themselves as unable to form romantic or sexual relationships despite wanting them. Many within this community direct their frustration toward the opposite gender, often expressing anger and hostility when faced with rejection.

Jake used platforms such as Reddit to share his resentment, posting misogynistic and homophobic content. He also directed hostility toward his own mother, who had repeatedly urged him to seek help for his deteriorating mental health.

Jake’s YouTube videos also revealed his deep frustration over missing out on teenage romance. He admitted to having contemplated using drugs and lamented that he had “missed that boat and it is never coming back.”

In subsequent posts, he went on to say:

In 2016, Jake Davison’s first documented physical altercation was recorded when he was reported to the police for an unprovoked attack on a man and his pregnant girlfriend. He received only a warning and was not prosecuted.

It is believed that Jake targeted the couple out of jealousy and frustration over his own inability to form a romantic relationship.

The following year, in July 2017, Jake applied for a shotgun certificate. Despite his father expressing concerns to the police that his son should not be granted one, Jake was issued a firearm licence in 2018.

As time went on, it became increasingly apparent that Jake was growing frustrated with his life—his lack of friends, a romantic partner, and any meaningful support network weighed heavily on him. His online content became more frequent, often centred on his frustration at being 22 years old and still not having had a sexual relationship.

In 2020, in a desperate attempt to increase his appeal to women, Jake turned to weightlifting and bodybuilding.

A former boyfriend of Jake’s mother, who had briefly lived with them on Biddick Drive, reported witnessing Jake using steroids. He also noted that Jake would consume up to “12 energy drinks a day.”

Jake was also active in gun enthusiast subreddits. In one detailed rant, he preached his belief that mass shootings had no connection to gun control.

Jake’s mother had noticed a gradual change in her son, as did neighbours. One neighbour commented:

Jake also alluded to a financial dispute with his mother over benefit money that he felt he was owed. He wrote:

Jake often referred to his mother with derogatory terms, once branding her “my vile dysfunctional chaotic mother”.

On 11th August 2021, Reddit finally suspended Jake Davison’s account after he made inappropriate comments to a 16 year old female Reddit user from America.

Initially he had been friendly with the girl but the conversation had turned sour after she had turned down his repeated requests to date him, travel to see him and have sex with him. Jake had tried to reassure her that sex with someone of her age is acceptable because it “was legal in the UK”.

The next day, Jake would finally snap…

At approximately 6pm. on 12 August 2021, Jake physically assaulted his mother, grabbing her by the throat and preventing her from leaving a bedroom in their home.

A distressed Maxine called her sister for help, who in turn contacted the police on her behalf. She told the operator that her nephew was “struggling with mental health issues” and was completely out of control.

Between 6:05pm and 6:08pm, Jake opened fire with his legally-owned pump-action shotgun, killing his mother.

With the shotgun in hand, he then walked out of the front door and down the street. Witnesses later describe Jake firing at anyone he came across.

His next victims were 43 year old Lee Martyn and his 3 year old daughter Sophie. Lee had been walking the family dog Mabel, whilst Sophie had been pushing her teddy in a pram.

As he continued on his rampage, Jake the injured a 53 year old woman and her 33 year old son who lived on his street; fortunately, they survived. Making his way to a nearby park, Jake then shot dead a 59 year old man named Stephen Washington — a full time carer for his wife.

Stephen had been out walking his two dogs when Jake had fired into his chest.

At 6:11pm, Devon Police received the first reports of gunfire at multiple locations across the town.

Meanwhile, Jake proceeded to Henderson Place, where he encountered 66 year old artist Katherine Shepherd. She was shot in the stomach and later died in hospital.

At 6:23pm, the carnage came to an end when Jake Davison shot himself on Henderson Place.

Armed police, air police and a hazard response unit arrived within 6 minutes, accompanied by three air ambulances. They quickly closed off the area and recovered the bodies of murderer Jake Davison, and his five victims.

On 20 February 2023, an inquest concluded that there had been “serious failings” by the Cornwall and Devon Firearms Unit and the Explosives Licensing Unit in granting Jake Davison a shotgun licence.

In February 2022, Davison’s father, Mark, spoke to the BBC, expressing deep shame over his son’s actions and offering an apology for the tragedy.