A witness has described the chilling moment they heard a woman being shot on Valentine’s Day at a quiet village pub.
Police are still hunting for a suspect following the horrifying shooting, which took place outside the Three Horseshoes on Main Road, Knockholt in Kent. Today, police tape and tarpaulins covered the area where diners had been enjoying Valentine’s meals before the incident.
A woman in her 40s was killed and witnesses described hearing the harrowing moment “commotion” erupted outside the pub just after 7pm. Kent Police said the woman died at the scene after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, as one local described hearing “three to four bangs”.
Cops said the suspect, a man who is believed to be known to the victim, has left the area and his whereabouts are unknown at present. Police are treating the investigation into the shooting as a murder inquiry.
Officers have recovered a vehicle and a gun on the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, which crosses the River Thames near Dartford. Investigators are currently working to identify and locate “all persons potentially involved”.
Steve Maines, a parish councillor in Knockholt, described what he heard outside the pub. “We were sitting having our Valentine’s Day meal when all of a sudden we heard this huge commotion outside in the car park,” he told the BBC. “We were told someone had been shot so we had to leave.” Villager Dorothy Wong said: “I heard around three to four bangs outside and loud shouting from a woman’s voice.”
The Three Horseshoes pub posted a message on its Facebook page telling customers it would be closed on Saturday “following a tragic incident outside the pub last night”. In another post, pub staff expressed their “sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends”. The statement continued: “We also want to send our support to anyone else in the local and surrounding community who have been impacted by this. Please be respectful of everyone involved at this difficult time.”
Kent Police said: “Kent Police was called at 7.02pm on Friday 14 February 2025 to a report of a disturbance at the Three Horseshoes pub in Main Road, Knockholt. Officers attended the scene along with South East Coast Ambulance Service where a woman in her 40s had suffered injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
“She was declared deceased at the scene and a murder investigation is underway. Her next of kin has been informed. As part of enquiries, officers attended the Dartford Crossing where a vehicle linked to the incident was recovered, alongside a firearm.”
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