'Devastated' Channel 4 viewers left 'crying all the way through' true crime documentary dubbed 'both harrowing and moving in equal measure'

• e-mail

'Devastated' Channel 4 viewers admitted that they were left 'crying all the way through' a true crime documentary dubbed 'both harrowing and moving in equal measure'. 

The Dunblane Tapes premiered on the channel on February 26 2026.

The 90-minute documentary follows the events of what happened on March 13 1996, when 16 children and their school teacher at Dunblane Primary School in Scotland, were shot dead by Thomas Hamilton.

It also shares how family and friends of those who died have dealt with their losses following on from the heartbreaking event. 

'After the 1996 mass shooting at Dunblane, a campaign was launched to ban private handguns in the UK.

'This remarkable story is now told through unseen footage filmed by a bereaved parent,' Channel 4's synopsis reads. 

'Devastated' Channel 4 viewers admitted that they were left 'crying all the way through' a true crime documentary dubbed 'both harrowing and moving in equal measure'

The Dunblane Tapes premiered on the channel on February 26 2026

Since being on air, it is now available to watch on the channel's popular streaming service. 

Those who have watched the show have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their heartbreak over the devastating story. 

'Catching up on “The Dunblane Tapes” on Channel 4. Only 20 minutes in and wow what a tough watch.'

'I’ve just watched The Dunblane Tapes on channel 4. I had a child the same age in 1996. Absolutely heartbreaking watch, these women were phenomenal and brave. Thank you.'

'Crying watching The Dunblane Tapes absolute heartbreaking watch! A would've just been born.'

'The Dunblane Tapes. An incredibly moving programme. Love forever to those poor relatives who lost their beloved little children. No guns can ever can be justified in communities.'

'Watching #TheDunblaneTapes. 7 mins in and I’m already in tears. Gonna be a difficult watch. So close to home.'

'Seeing the bereaved parents come together to support one another is just incredible! They realised that change needed to happen!'

Many have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts on the documentary 

'My god this country owes all the parents of the Dunblane victims a debt of gratitude, thanks to their determination & dedication on not giving up on getting guns banned means we haven’t had a school shooting since, absolutely amazing.'

'This reminds me that #Scotland has some beautiful communities. Before & after tragedy. Who carried themselves with dignity & caring for one and other while bearing grief. Dunblane just like Lockerbie. Those beautiful children and teacher #TheDunblaneTapes.'

'A tragic devastating loss of precious life just beginning. This POWERFUL doc shows the fight the parents had to ban handguns in using there pain, bravery to make sure it never happened again My thoughts are with the families.' 

Another said: 'Just finished watching The Dunblane Tapes on Channel 4. Extremely upsetting watch, but the families who were devastated by what happened changed the law of the land and definitely stopped it happening again. 

'Also extremely pleased the perpetrator’s name was not mentioned, I won’t mention it either as he doesn’t deserve to be mentioned. Please watch it, it’s humbling and devastating and I remember it like it was yesterday, it was 13th March 1996.'

Daily Mail's Christopher Stevens awarded the doc five stars.

He wrote: 'The grief and shock of parents, as news cameras arrived in the hours after the shooting, is still unbearable to watch, 30 years on.

'Former MP Lord (Michael) Forsyth, who was Secretary of State for Scotland at the time, choked up as he described his horror on going into the school gym where the bodies lay.

'"I completely lost it," he said. 'It was a scene from hell.'

'Other footage came from home video recorded by grieving father John Crozier, whose daughter Emma was one of the victims.

'He befriended another man, Les Morton, whose overwhelming distress at the loss of his own child, Emily, took the form of white-hot anger.

'Even at his most distraught, pouring out his feelings to his friend's camcorder, Mr Morton's emotion was always expressed with savage eloquence.

'"Who would ever have thought," he demanded, 'that the guy next door to you quite legally could be armed to the teeth?'

'As their campaign to ban all handguns gathered pace, they met bitter resistance.

'Anonymous gun fanatics sent hate mail. Pro-gun MPs protested the ban was a nonsense, since shotguns (not included under the restrictions) were even more dangerous.

'"My daughter's right not to be shot by a legally held gun," retorted Mr Crozier, 'is more important than anybody's right to legally hold that gun.'

'Today, private ownership of handguns is regarded as unthinkable. We look across the Atlantic to the U.S. in bafflement at their impossibly lax gun laws.

'This documentary ended on the most telling note of all: since Dunblane, there has not been a school shooting in the UK.'

Watch The Dunblane Tapes on channel4.com now.