William Watson

On Saturday, 12 September 2026, at about 11.50am, Police Scotland were called to a property on Harestanes Road in Armadale after reports that a thirty-five-year-old man had been injured. Billy Watson was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers initially treated the death as suspicious and said one line of inquiry was that a firearm may have been involved.

After a post-mortem examination, Police Scotland confirmed that he had suffered fatal injuries consistent with being shot by a firearm and that the death was being treated as murder. Senior officers described the attack as targeted and sought to reassure the wider community that it was not believed to present an ongoing general threat. Related fires the same day in Netherhouses and on Wotherspoon Crescent were examined for possible links.

On 16 September a fifty-seven-year-old man was arrested in connection with the death. He was later charged and due to appear at Livingston Sheriff Court. Detectives continued to appeal for information about vehicles and people seen near Harestanes Road around the time of the shooting. Funeral and memorial arrangements had not been detailed in early public reporting.

Public reporting has identified William Watson primarily through the name by which he was known locally, Billy, and through his ties to Armadale in West Lothian. He was thirty-five years old at the time of his death and was a father. Beyond that, detailed public biography is limited. News outlets have relied on police naming statements rather than on a conventional life-story interview or published memoir, which is common when a death is announced amid an active criminal investigation.

What can be said with confidence is that Billy was part of a family now described by senior officers as shocked and devastated, and that his loss was felt in a residential community that saw an unusual emergency response on 12 September 2026. Neighbours watched as police cordons went up on Harestanes Road and as forensic teams worked through the weekend. Local politicians spoke of concern for residents and of sympathy for those closest to him.

This memorial deliberately centres Billy as a person rather than as a case file. As more information about his work, interests, and family life is shared with consent, it can be added here.

The Major Investigations Team led inquiries under Detective Superintendent Michelle Findlay. Police asked the public for doorbell, dash-cam and CCTV footage capturing a blue BMW and a black Vauxhall Mokka on Harestanes Road around 11.50am on 12 September, and for information about four people seen in the area. Information can be passed via the Major Investigation Public Portal or anonymously to Crimestoppers.

This section records the publicly stated facts of the investigation for context. It is not a substitute for court proceedings, and no findings beyond what police and reputable outlets have reported are offered here.

Those who knew Billy have been asked for space and dignity while the investigation continues. Police statements emphasise family support, and local representatives urged people to avoid speculation on social media. A lasting public tribute will grow as family and friends choose what they wish to share. Lighting a candle on this page is one quiet way to mark his memory without amplifying rumour.