Man shot by cops 'had built his own gun and dreamt of shoot outs' (2025)

David Joyce, 38, reportedly told a neighbour that he believed cameras were following him around and that he became paranoid that the police "are out to get me."

A man shot dead by police outside Milton Keynes railway station had made his own gun at home and dreamt of having shoot outs.

David Joyce, had finished a short stay behind bars months ago for possession of firearms, as well as making his own firearm three years ago, when he was fatally shot outside Milton Keynes station this week.

Photographs shared on the 31-year-old's Facebook page showed Joyce aiming a firearm and a bow and arrow in a wooded area. He also shared a photo of a Taser that he built himself from a "200,000 voltage ignition coil" before boasting of having made a "burning laser" that could slice through plastic and blind someone "instantly."

Officers received reports he had been outside the station with a gun although it later emerged he had, in fact, been carrying a knife and that no other weapon was found at the scene, reports the Mirror.

He was shot dead by an armed police officer outside Milton Keynes Central Rail station in Buckinghamshire on Tuesday.

According to reports Joyce had become paranoid just before the fatal shooting and told a neighbour the police were "out to get me."

"He was a quiet lad, didn't say much but I think he had some mental health issues," a neighbour told MailOnline. "One the day he was shot, he came to my gate and started talking to me.

"He was very paranoid and said 'can't you see them? The cameras...they're following me everywhere. The police are out to get me.

"it was a bizarre conversation but a few hours later he was shot dead by armed police. He had a knife apparently and ran at them but I wonder if they could have handled it differently because he was clearly unwell.

Another neighbour said Joyce had only been out of prison for a few months. Joyce, originally from Galway in Ireland, had lived with his partner in a ground floor flat in Milton Keynes.

In 2016, Joyce wrote on Facebook: "Keep having the same kind of mad dreams over and over, getting shot at, having gun fights, being attacked by creepy weirdos and being in jail.

"Not to mention getting stabbed and oh yes, my favourite, the poltergeist I always dream of being locked in a house with. Telling you I do wake up full of adrenaline expecting something or someone to be there. This is every night."

He had been jailed in 2022 over the offences of firearm possession and possession of an offensive weapon as well as one count of possession of an article for use in connection with conversion of imitation firearms.

Milton Keynes commander, Chief Superintendent Emma Baillie of Thames Valley Police, said following the shooting: “We understand that this incident may cause concern locally, but we would like to reassure the community that there is no wider risk to the public.”

The force has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and they will carry out an investigation into the fatal shooting.

Officers remained at the scene for some time following the shooting and there was significant disruption to travel in and out of the area on the day.