A man shot by police outside a cathedral may have wanted to be killed, an inquest heard today.
Police were called to Guildford Cathedral after David Sycamore, 39, told a member of the public he was going to "start shooting people" in the Surrey town.
Mr Sycamore was seen to pull out a gun, thought to be a handgun, on the steps of the cathedral.
The administrative assistant, who lived with his parents near the cathedral, was shot in the chest and arm by two Surrey Police officers as he sat on the steps.
It was not discovered until his death that the 8mm gun could only fire blanks.
Despite resuscitation efforts from police, Mr Sycamore was pronounced dead at the scene, a jury at Surrey Coroner's Court heard. The cause of death was the gunshot wound to his chest, pathologist Robert Chapman concluded.
Coroner Michael Burgess said a police officer visiting Mr Sycamore's parents' home after his death recalled his mother saying: "He's done it on purpose. He had been saying he was going to get himself shot."
Mr Sycamore's brother Mark said he could not remember that conversation however, only that his mother had broken down in tears after being told her son was dead.
Mr Sycamore was taking anti-depressants and made an attempt to take his life 17 years previously, the inquest heard.
He had also told an ex-girlfriend shortly before his death that he wanted to die.