Horden shootings: killer held six gun licences The police inquiry into four shootings at a house in a former mining community in the north-east on New Year's Day is likely to focus on why a man with a previous history of self-harm was allowed to hold six gun licences. Police investigating the deaths of three women and the man who shot them in Horden, County Durham, before apparently killing himself are expected to question why he owned six guns. Michael Atherton, 42, had licences for the firearms despite police revealing they were told in 2008 he had threatened to harm himself during what they describe as a "minor" incident. Atherton shot his partner, Susan McGoldrick, 47, her sister Alison Turnbull, 44, and her niece Tanya Turnbull, 24, late on 1 January after they had returned from a family meal and drink. Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry of Durham police, who is leading the inquiry, said detectives were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. Three other people, including a 19-year-old woman, Laura McGoldrick, escaped from an upstairs window during the incident at the property on Greenside Avenue with superficial injuries. Police discovered the victims in different downstairs rooms and a shotgun was found next to Atherton's body. A former Metropolitan police firearms officer, Roger Gray, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I would feel that if someone started to present themselves as a self-harmer, or as a danger to themselves or others, the possibility of a firearm should be scrutinised to the nth degree and perhaps the firearm should be taken away." He added: "I think the framework of law is sufficient; it is the application of that framework which needs to be looked at. We need to put more pressure and make more resources available to literally police the ownership of firearms to a greater extent. He said the level of scrutiny needs to go up, adding: "This one has definitely slipped through the net." Assistant Chief Constable Michael Banks told a press conference that Atherton was licensed to own six weapons, three of them shotguns and a further three "section-one" firearms. The section one firearms required a greater degree of authorisation than a shotgun licence, he said. Atherton had been a member of a gun club in the area but it is not known if he was still an active member. "I can confirm that a resident at that address was the lawful holder of shotgun and firearms licences and we cannot confirm at this stage whether any of those weapons that were lawfully held have been used in this," said Banks. It has also emerged that the Durham force previously had what has been described as "minor contact" with the family and that as a result a voluntary referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was being made. The victims had been in a group celebrating the new year in what police have called a "close and very settled community." The area suffers from socio-economic deprivation after its pit, once described as "the jewel in the crown" of British mining, was shut in 1987. Goundry, who described the deaths as "a tragic event," added: "We have four people who died and our thoughts and feelings are with their family and friends at this moment." A spokeswoman for Durham police said on Monday night: "Police are continuing to try and establish the exact circumstances of what took place and are speaking to family, friends and associates of those who died. However, we can confirm that police currently believe Mr Atherton shot the three women before turning the weapon on himself. The exact weapon used has still not been established and will also form part of continuing inquiries. Postmortem examinations are being carried out, and police hoped to release more details on Tuesday. The revelation that Atherton held licences for shotguns and other firearms is likely to spark renewed debate over whether to further tighten Britain's gun licensing laws. Susan McGoldrick's brother, Bobby Hardman, said the family was "numb from head to toe," adding: "We've lost three family members in one swoop and that's all I can say really." Family friend Steve Patterson reportedly said Atherton's brother, Chris, had told him before the shootings that his brother had been suffering from depression. He said his brother was fed up with the way his life was going and he felt down after a heart operation. Laura McGoldrick's close friend Kirsty Pearce, 21, a young mother, said she knew of previous violence involving Atherton and his wife. Although horrified by what had happened, Pearce said she was relieved that Laura, who is a performing arts student, had escaped alive. At the nearby Tin Pot pub, a friend of Atherton said he had recently taken up an allotment near to his home and he was a keen gardener.