mark duggan, a 29-year-old who lived in tottenham, north london, was shot in tottenham by a metropolitan police officer on 4 august 2011. police had been trying to arrest duggan because he had been carrying a handgun and they thought he was planning to shoot someone. duggan died at the scene from a bullet wound to his chest. the 2011 england riots started on 6 august 2011 because some criminals used duggan's death as an excuse to burgle shops and set fire to things. they lasted until 11 august 2011. five people were killed.