Shocking footage shows the moment gunman is tackled by Sussex college staff

The gunman, 18-year-old Sandijs Dreimanis, was jailed yesterday (Friday, March 11) for the incident which sparked a huge police response last year.

Around 3.12pm on April 26, police received multiple reports of a man armed with a gun, firing at people at the campus in College Road, Crawley.

A spontaneous firearms incident (SFI) was declared by Sussex Police, and immediate support was sought from neighbouring forces including Surrey, the Met, Kent, Hampshire, Thames Valley, British Transport Police and wider national colleagues.

A few minutes later, police were informed the suspect had been detained.

After hearing gun shots and seeing students flee from the campus, a lecturer and member of support staff pursued the defendant and challenged him – even after he turned around, raised his right arm and discharged a firearm directly towards them.

Together, they managed to disarm the 18-year-old of a gun – later confirmed to be a blank-firing imitation firearm – and a knife.

Vicki Illingworth, Principal at Crawley College, added: “Speaking on behalf of the Crawley College community, we would like to share our gratitude to the emergency services and to our staff and students for the courage and resilience they displayed during what was a difficult and challenging time.

“The actions which took place in April last year were distressing for us all, but we are thankful no-one was seriously hurt and we have been able, as a community, to move forward together.

”We continue to support our students and staff, and we remain grateful to the two staff members whose heroic actions helped to protect our college community.”

Dreimanis, a former student at Crawley College, was charged with four offences: possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence; possession of a knife on a school premises; and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was remanded in custody and over the course of the next few months, he pleaded guilty to all four offences, before being sentenced to five years and six months’ imprisonment at Lewes Crown Court on Friday 11 March – this includes time already spent in custody.

Following the hearing, the two Crawley College employees who detained Dreimanis each received a High Sheriff’s Award.

They were commended by Her Honour Judge Laing QC for their “extraordinary degree of bravery which was most remarkable”.

Crawley College release statement after teenage gunman is jailed: 'We remain grateful to the two staff members whose heroic actions helped to protect our college community'