Police have confirmed that the victims of the shooting in Wiltshire were a retired police officer and his female partner.
Police have confirmed that the victims of the shooting in Wiltshire were a retired police officer and his female partner.

Two people found shot dead in Wiltshire on Saturday 2 March were a retired police officer and his female partner, detectives have confirmed.

The bodies were discovered at the couple's home in Devizes after neighbours called police to report gunshots on the morning of 2 March.

The male victim, who has not yet been named, had served with the force for almost 30 years, before retiring five or six years ago.

Wiltshire Police Detective Chief Inspector Ian Saunders said the bodies were discovered inside the porch of the house on the Moonrakers estate.

"The investigation has so far identified that yesterday morning some neighbours overheard a number of gunshots from the address," he said.

"We understand him to be a retired police officer - he retired some five years ago from Wiltshire police service," said Saunders. "The female was not the wife of the retired officer; she is his partner.

"We have recovered a weapon from the scene. My working assumption is that weapons were discharged and the victims had sustained some form of gunshot wounds."

"The investigation continues to try and establish what led to this tragic incident."

The victims have yet to be formally identified, however, they have been named locally as Bill Dowling and Vicky, according to the Press Association.

Post mortem examinations of the bodies will be performed on Sunday 3 March.

One man who lived nearby told the PA he believed Dowling had a firearms licence.

He said: "I have known him for more than a decade and he was into shooting.

"I'd seen him load what looked like a big gun case into his car a few times, I think he went pheasant shooting.

"It was a big gun - it looked like it could've been a shotgun or something.

"He had long had an interest in shooting but over the last couple of months I saw him in his shooting gear a lot more."

The neighbour added: "It just doesn't make sense. They were a lovely couple, and he had recently spent a lot of money doing up the house."

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.