Dunblane massacre victim’s sister speaks out on brother’s death
30 years after the devastating Dunblane massacre, the sister of one of the teenage victims has described her pain as “a scar that will be there forever”.
Rachael Irvine’s brother Ross was a pupil at Dunblane Primary School when Thomas Hamilton entered the building on the morning of March 13, 1996, armed with four pistols and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Within minutes, Ross and 15 other Primary 1 children, along with their teacher Gwen Mayor, were murdered before Hamilton committed suicide. Fifteen people, including 12 children and three adults, were injured in the deadliest mass shooting in British history.
The incident left a shocked country in mourning and led to the UK Government quickly banning most handguns.
Ms Irvine, now 28 and having never met her brother, spoke of the deep pain her family and others like her continue to experience every day. “From the perspective of the loss of the child and the loss of the family member, this is not something that will ever go away,” he said. “I think it’s a wound that will be there forever. Life goes on, but you never stop thinking about your child. You never leave your child. You think about them all the time. And of course the 30th is particularly poignant, but that’s true every day.”
Ms Irvine lived in Dunblane until she was seven and noted the tragedy was a “very profound moment” in the town’s history. “In many ways it defines Dunblane,” he explained. “I dream because no one thought something like this would happen there. But of course it could happen anywhere.”
He and his family will mark the 30th anniversary by traveling to Ayr to visit Ross’s grave, a ritual they follow around March 13 most years. He chose Ayr for his funeral because he had lived there for most of his life, having only moved to Dunblane in the autumn of 1995, about six months before the shooting.
“I think this is very difficult for them,” thought Ms. Irvine. “I know in some ways my mother felt like they had brought her there to die, which of course is not true at all. But when something like this happens to your child, these are the kinds of things you think about as a parent.”
Describing Ross, Ms. Irvine painted a portrait of a “fun-loving, outgoing, talkative and ‘full of life’ child.” She added: “He really loved talking to people. He was very good at it and could talk to people of all ages. He was very curious about the world. “He had so many interests and things he loved, he was really invested.”
He recalled his passion for dinosaurs and noted that he could name “almost all of them”, as well as his love of trains, Thunderbirds and The Animals Of Farthing Wood. His mother often described Ross asking if he could bring an extra snack for a friend at Dunblane Primary School. “It’s a small thing, but I think it says a lot about who he is and his personality,” he said.
Although she had never met him, Ms Irvine said Ross was “always present” in the family home through photographs and stories, “always there with the belongings and pieces he left behind”.
Two years ago Ms Irvine joined the Gun Control Network, which was set up to campaign for tougher gun control laws in the wake of the massacre. He explained that his motivation stemmed from his “frustration” at witnessing gun violence in other countries and the “backsliding” in gun laws in countries once considered sound.
He also expressed hope that his involvement would help educate the younger generation about the importance of the laws passed after Dunblane. “A lot of people my age aren’t aware of Dunblane, what happened and why we had the strong gun laws we grew up with,” he said. “I guess I take it for granted because of course it’s part of my life.”
“So if there’s a way to shed light on the issue and bring it to the attention of younger generations, I think that’s really important,” he concluded.
