Valentine’s Day pub shooting victim ‘killed by husband,’ police fear

Police are currently investigating whether the death of 43-year-old Lisa Smith was a murder-suicide, it has been reported. 

The woman, from Slough, was shot dead in a pub in Knockholt, Kent, on Valentine’s Day.

The Sun reports that Kent Police are searching the Thames for their main suspect, her husband Edvard Stockings.

It was previously reported that a suspect was believed to have fallen from the Queen Elizabeth II bridge.

A Kent Police spokesperson said: “A car and firearm linked to the suspect were later recovered next to the Dartford Crossing.

“The suspect, a man known to the victim, is reported to have been seen on the wrong side of a bridge barrier, and officers are focusing efforts on searches to recover him from the water.”

Officers are focusing on searches to recover him from the water. It is not yet clear whether the gun was legally owned.

Det Ch Insp David Higham has said the police are “not ruling out the possibility” that the man “may have entered the water”.

He added officers are only looking for one suspect and don’t believe there is an ongoing risk to the public.

Mr Higham said specialist officers continue to support the families of Ms Smith and the man, who has not yet been formally identified by the police.

Teejay Smith posted a tribute to his “dear old mum” on Facebook, adding there would “never be another to walk in her shoes”.

In his emotional post, Mr Smith included a series of photos of Ms Smith, including one showing her dressed up for an event and another standing beside a statue of Amy Winehouse.

Tributes to “a wonderful mum” have been left at the scene, including a balloon showing the Disney mermaid Ariel.

A floral tribute and note was left by a woman who knew Lisa as a customer of her shop. The woman has been quoted by The Sun as saying: “She was beautiful – an absolutely beautiful woman.

“Just gorgeous, a lovely family. I knew her and her family for years – her kids too – she was lovely. You just can’t know why things like this happen.”

About 30 people were at the pub for dinner, while 20 more were in the bar as the incident unfolded just after 7pm on Valentine’s Day.

The landlady of The Three Horseshoes, Michelle Thomas, described customers “screaming, shouting and crying” as they realised what had happened.

Ms Thomas told Sky News she was preparing for the Valentine’s dinner service when she heard two loud bangs that she initially thought were fireworks.

She said: “People were only just starting to sit down, it was early on in the evening.” The landlady also described how an off-duty firearms officer intervened to get the situation under control.

She said the victim had been to the pub before but “wasn’t a regular”. Police have only said at this stage of the investigation that the victim knew the suspect.

There had been no prior contact between the police and the victim or suspect.