A teenager clambered through a bedroom window to escape being killed in a New Year's Day shotgun massacre that left four people dead at a home in County Durham.
Police officers close off Greenside Avenue in County Durham
The 19 year-old suffered pellet wounds after a man named locally as taxi driver Michael Atherton Snr, known as Micky, killed three female relatives before turning the gun on himself.
One of the victims was named as Susan McGoldrick, who lived at the address with a Mr Atherton.
The bodies of the women were found in different rooms on the ground floor of the house in Horden, near Peterlee.
The 19 year-old was taken to North Tees Hospital in Stockton where she is understood to have had pellets removed from her wrist and shoulder before being released.
A Durham Police spokesman said that all four victims were related or known to each other and that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
He added: “The man is believed to be in his early forties and, while the ages of the female victims have not yet been established, it’s thought the youngest was in her teens.”
A shotgun was found lying next to the man's body.
Police were called to the house at 11.45pm last night after reports of a multiple shooting at the semi-detached property.
Firearms officers were quickly deployed to the scene where they found the four bodies. The survivor, who is also related to the victims, is helping police with their inquiries.
The area has been cordoned off since shortly after midnight and police say the house will be subjected to a forensic examination.
It is expected to be some time before police are able to formally identify those who have died.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, told the Peterlee Mail: “Sue was a lovely woman. She had two children.
“They were just a lovely couple. I don’t know why it’s happened and for it to be on New Year’s Day – it’s a hell of a time, everyone was in.
“Micky was a taxi driver and he liked shooting – it was his hobby so I knew he had firearms, it wasn’t a secret.
“Sue was very nice. She used to help me out – if it was raining she’d offer to go out for me and pick up things that I needed.
“I don’t know how long her and Micky were together for – it must have been a long time.
“They must have had some troubles in their relationship.
“I just live a few doors down – I didn’t know anything until I woke up this morning.”
Another neighbour told the Northern Echo: "I was walking home from work at quarter past 12 last night and the first thing I saw was a guy running around covered in blood.
"He was shouting 'someone's been shot in the head'.
"I knew the family quite well. No one can believe it's happened."
Robert Bailey, 72, a long-standing resident of Greenside Avenue, spoke of his shock following the news.
He said he knew the people involved by sight only – and they had appeared "normal, ordinary people".
"There is shock. There is never any trouble here and we have been here for nearly 50 years," he said.
One resident of Greenside Avenue, who did not want to be identified, said it was a quiet area.
"I am shocked and stunned by this. This is just awful. Nothing happens in our street," she said.
Labour party ward councillor Paul Stradling said it was the most shocking incident he had come across in 30 years as a politician.
He said: "I have had a few phone calls this morning asking if I was aware of it – it's terrible news.
"Greenside Avenue is normally a very quiet area of the village so it has shocked everybody.
"It's a typical North East village, quiet most of the time with a little bit of anti-social behaviour but crime levels are usually low.
"I will be out and about today and am waiting for further reports from the local police inspector."
: An incident room is being set up at police headquarters in Durham staffed by officers from the force's major crime team led by the senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry.
A shotgun was found lying next to the man's body.
Police were called to the house at 11.45pm last night after reports of a multiple shooting at the semi-detached property.
Firearms officers were quickly deployed to the scene where they found the four bodies. The survivor, who is also related to the victims, is helping police with their inquiries.
The area has been cordoned off since shortly after midnight and police say the house will be subjected to a forensic examination.
It is expected to be some time before police are able to formally identify those who have died.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, told the Peterlee Mail: “Sue was a lovely woman. She had two children.
“They were just a lovely couple. I don’t know why it’s happened and for it to be on New Year’s Day – it’s a hell of a time, everyone was in.
“Micky was a taxi driver and he liked shooting – it was his hobby so I knew he had firearms, it wasn’t a secret.
“Sue was very nice. She used to help me out – if it was raining she’d offer to go out for me and pick up things that I needed.
“I don’t know how long her and Micky were together for – it must have been a long time.
“They must have had some troubles in their relationship.
“I just live a few doors down – I didn’t know anything until I woke up this morning.”
Another neighbour told the Northern Echo: "I was walking home from work at quarter past 12 last night and the first thing I saw was a guy running around covered in blood.
"He was shouting 'someone's been shot in the head'.
"I knew the family quite well. No one can believe it's happened."
Robert Bailey, 72, a long-standing resident of Greenside Avenue, spoke of his shock following the news.
He said he knew the people involved by sight only – and they had appeared "normal, ordinary people".
"There is shock. There is never any trouble here and we have been here for nearly 50 years," he said.
One resident of Greenside Avenue, who did not want to be identified, said it was a quiet area.
"I am shocked and stunned by this. This is just awful. Nothing happens in our street," she said.
Labour party ward councillor Paul Stradling said it was the most shocking incident he had come across in 30 years as a politician.
He said: "I have had a few phone calls this morning asking if I was aware of it – it's terrible news.
"Greenside Avenue is normally a very quiet area of the village so it has shocked everybody.
"It's a typical North East village, quiet most of the time with a little bit of anti-social behaviour but crime levels are usually low.
"I will be out and about today and am waiting for further reports from the local police inspector."
: An incident room is being set up at police headquarters in Durham staffed by officers from the force's major crime team led by the senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry.
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