42-year-old Michael Atherton shot his partner Susan McGoldrick, her sister Alison Turnbull and her daughter Tanya Turnbull with a shotgun, before killing himself.
[1] They were all killed in Atherton's home, where three others escaped from an upstairs window, one of whom had suffered minor injuries from the spray of the gun.
[2] Michael Atherton, a taxi driver, had a licence which allowed him to legally own firearms, six in total - three of which were shotguns.
Despite having his guns confiscated in 2008 by police, they were later returned.
[3] He was arrested for affray at a local club, and months later armed police were called to his home after he threatened to "blow his head off" to his family.