Man arrested on suspicion of murder following Cricklade shooting

We have arrested a man on suspicion of murder following the fatal shooting near Cricklade.

The suspect, aged 35, was arrested earlier this afternoon (04/08) in relation to the shooting at a traveller site in Calcutt at around 8.15am on Sunday morning.  

The victim, who can be formally named as Jimmy Ward, 36, was sadly declared dead at the scene. Our thoughts remain with his friends and family.

Two other men, aged 53 and 29, were also arrested earlier today on suspicion of assisting an offender following a vehicle stop on the A419, taking the total number of people arrested to five.

All five people are in custody for questioning.

A cordon, which was put in place at the site following the shooting, remains in place with an increased policing presence. This will remain in place in the coming days while further enquiries continue at the site.

The investigation is being led by our Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT).

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Phil Walker, from MCIT, said: “This is a significant development in our investigation.

“I can confirm that a man has been arrested on suspicion of Jimmy’s murder and is now in police custody, along with four other people on suspicion of assisting an offender.

“Jimmy’s next of kin have been informed of this development and my thoughts continue to be with them. They are being supported by specially trained officers.

“A scene and heavy policing presence remain in place at the traveller site in Calcutt while further enquiries are carried out. I continue to ask that this cordon is respected.

“I’d like to thank the local community for their support and patience since Sunday. We understand this incident has caused significant concern, so please consider speaking with officers about any information or concerns you may have.”