Latest from the Beeb indicates that he shot a farmer in a field outside the town, then went into town and started blasting at people in the street, before driving off, crashing the car, hot-footing it to a wood and then topping himself...
(edit - no, he shot the poeple in the town first - one guy in the street, a cyclist, and a bloke driving a RR - then seems to have killed the farmer while escaping east of the town)
Not sure if there would have been any police close enough to have been able to put a swift end to this even if they were permitted to be armed. Despite the fact that this went on over what seems to be a couple of hours, we just don't have boots on the streets any more - and I'm not sure we should have armed police in what should be quiet rural areas like this - city streets yes, but rural cumbria? You can't legislate, or police, for this kind of action...
Pippa