Care home manager convinced gunman to surrender weapon after fatal shooting

The manager at a care home where an 81-year-old woman was shot dead has described how she convinced the alleged gunman to hand over his weapon.

Julie Curtis, who has run De La Mer residential home for two years, said she saw the man walking towards her holding a gun.

She put her arm around the man, who had reportedly been staying at the home for one week, and pleaded for him to drop the weapon.

She told the Press Association: "I put my left arm around him and put his right arm between him and the gun and said 'please, please give me the gun', and he let go."

Essex Police provisionally identified the woman killed at the home in Walton-on-the-Naze as Rita King.

A man remains in custody on suspicion of murder. Police confirmed he is related to Ms King and was also a resident at the home.