Wolverhampton shooting suspects released on bail
Two people arrested after a six-year-old boy was injured in a shotgun attack have been released on bail.
The suspects, a 17-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion of wounding after a shotgun was fired at a family home in the Eastfield area of Wolverhampton on Good Friday.
The young victim was sprayed with pellets in the back and hand as he fled into the house on Ashbourne Road with his 14-year-old brother and another boy at around 4pm.
He needed surgery to remove the shrapnel and broke a finger but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Nobody else was hurt.
The victim's older brother described seeing people running up the street chased by a group of men, one of whom was holding a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun.
The teenager said he believed the gang were after someone else and mistakenly thought their target had taken cover in the family house.
Superintendent Tom Chisholm, from Wolverhampton police, said the motive was unclear but detectives were working "tirelessly" to find those responsible.
"I understand the concerns of the community and I’d like to reassure you that we’re doing all we can to establish what happened yesterday and find those responsible," he said.
"Incidents like this are shocking and will not be tolerated in our city.
"We have extra officers in the area as we’ve increased patrols to support and reassure the community during this concerning time."
