What happened in the Dunblane massacre? 25 years ago, 16 children – aged just five and six – and teacher Gwen Mayor were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton when he opened fire on a gym class at Dunblane Primary School. Hamilton, 43, then killed himself. The massacre, which took place on March 13, 1996, in the Stirlingshire town, shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.
Gwen Mayor and her class at Dunblane Primary. Two new Firearms Acts were passed, which saw the end to private ownership of handguns in the UK. Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the massacre, but a quarter of a century on, the events of that day understandably still remain raw for the survivors and families of the victims.