Nottingham, UK — The brother of Valdo Calocane, the gunman behind Britain’s deadliest mass shooting in a decade, has told a public inquiry he feared the 34-year-old was on the verge of taking his own life just days before the attack that left three dead and multiple injured. The testimony, delivered in closed session but later summarized in court filings, paints a portrait of escalating alarm among Calocane’s family members in the days leading up to June 13, 2023, when he opened fire in central Nottingham, killing a graduate student, a barrister, and a post office worker.

Calocane’s brother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described a man consumed by paranoia and despair in the final days of his life. According to the inquiry’s summary, the brother recounted receiving frantic messages from Calocane on June 11, just 48 hours before the violence began. The texts, submitted as evidence, included references to "the end" and "no way out," language the brother interpreted as suicidal ideation. "I thought he was going to kill himself," the brother testified. "That’s what I feared most."

The inquiry, led by retired judge Sir Jonathan Hall KC, has heard from multiple witnesses about Calocane’s erratic behavior in the weeks and months before the attack. Neighbors in his Hyson Green flat reported hearing loud arguments and what sounded like furniture being thrown. A local GP confirmed Calocane failed to attend a scheduled mental health assessment two weeks prior to the shooting, a missed appointment that has since raised urgent questions about intervention gaps.

Forensic psychiatrists retained by the inquiry have begun reconstructing Calocane’s mental state, drawing on digital records, witness accounts, and police interviews. Early assessments suggest he exhibited signs of severe psychosis, including delusions of persecution and auditory hallucinations. One psychiatrist noted that while Calocane’s behavior was undeniably violent, his primary fixation appeared to be on ending his own life, not others. "The planning was erratic, but the intent was clear: he believed death was the only solution," the psychiatrist told the inquiry.

Nottinghamshire Police have faced scrutiny over their handling of Calocane prior to the attack. Records show he was known to officers after being detained in 2021 for a knife-related incident at a city centre nightclub. Though released without charge, the incident triggered a mental health referral that was never followed up. Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Checkley admitted to the inquiry that "lessons must be learned," but stressed that Calocane had not met the threshold for pre-emptive detention under the Mental Health Act at any point.

The inquiry continues to hear testimony from victims’ families, law enforcement, and mental health workers, with a final report expected by early 2025. Already, the case has reignited debate over Britain’s patchwork mental health care system and the adequacy of police interventions in cases involving unstable individuals with violent tendencies.

Victims’ advocates have called for mandatory reporting systems that flag individuals with repeated mental health crises or violent histories, similar to systems in place for firearms licensing. "This wasn’t just a failure of one system," said a spokesperson for the Nottingham Survivors Support Group. "It was a failure of every system that was supposed to protect us."

• 🔍 The inquiry highlights systemic gaps in mental health follow-up
• 📉 Police records show Calocane was known but not detained under mental health legislation
• ⚠️ Victims’ families argue for stronger intervention protocols