A woman shot dead at a pub on Valentine’s Day by a man “known to her” has been named locally. The landlady of The Three Horseshoes in Knockholt, near Sevenoaks, Kent, said she heard two loud bangs which sounded like fireworks. Customers who realised what had happened started “screaming, shouting and crying”, added Michelle Thomas. The victim was identified by villagers as Lisa Stockings. One source told The Sun Ms Stockings, in her 40s, had been in the pub with a female friend.
Kent Police said the suspect left the area and a car and gun were later found at the Queen Elizabeth II bridge which crosses the River Thames. Officers later received reports of a man on the wrong side of the barrier, and believe he may have entered the water. They said they believed the suspect was known to the victim. Ms Thomas said she was preparing for the Valentine’s dinner service when she heard two loud bangs that she initially thought were fireworks.
Around 30 people were at the pub for dinner, while 20 more were in the bar as the incident unfolded just after 7pm, she said. “People were only just starting to sit down, it was early on in the evening,” she told Sky News. Ms Thomas also described how an off-duty firearms officer intervened to get the situation under control. She told the broadcaster the victim had been to the pub before but “wasn’t a regular”.
It is understood neither the suspect nor victim were from Kent but had local connections to the area. A resident revealed petrified couples were “locked in” the pub for their own safety. The villager, who lives close to the pub, said: “I heard three loud bangs and a bit of commotion.”. Detective Chief Inspector David Higham, the senior investigating officer, said on Saturday: “Call handlers received reports of a man on the wrong side of the barrier and we are not ruling out the possibility that he may have entered the water.
