Wolverhampton shooting: Family of young victim in shock after sawn-off shotgun fired at house
The family of a boy injured in a shotgun attack have described the terrifying moment a gunman took aim at their house in what is thought to have been a case of mistaken identity.
A terrified father has spoken of his shock and fears after a gunman blasted a shotgun at the family home, injuring his young son.
The shot was fired as the boy fled inside the property, on a residential Wolverhampton street, with his brother and another boy after the youngsters saw a gang of people running towards them followed by a man holding a gun.
The victim, aged six, was peppered with pellets in the back and hand as he tried to escape indoors. He was today undergoing an operation to remove the shrapnel. He also broke a finger.
His 48-year-old father Adburahaman Tukwalesharif, who came to the UK from Somalia with his wife and six-month-old son in 2002, said: "I came here because my country had problems. I came here to get safe. Now this happens."
He was at home in Ashbourne Road, Eastfield, with his family because of the Good Friday bank holiday when their ordeal began just before 4pm.
Mistaken identity
His 14-year-old son, who was in the front garden at the time with his little brother and a friend, saw three people run up the street from the direction of Deans Road.
The teenager takes up the story: "I was on the grass speaking to my friend and I just saw three people running and there was people behind chasing them with a shotgun in their hand.
"I heard the first bang, I thought it was a shotgun by the way it sounded. As soon as I saw the shotgun, I told my friend and my little brother to get inside. The [front] door was closed so I opened it."
As the youngsters dashed inside, the 14-year-old looked back and saw four people on the pavement outside the house, one wearing a balaclava.
"They looked at us and then shot a bullet at us. They hit my brother."
The teenager believes the gang were after someone else and mistakenly thought their target had taken cover in the family house.
He said he was shocked: "It was the first time I've seen a gun. It was a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun."
'Everybody is scared'
Mr Tukwalesharif, a father-of-six who works in a car parts factory in Cannock, called the emergency services.
"My young son was crying, there was blood everywhere," he said.
"Everybody is scared – me too. I haven't slept since it happened. I stayed downstairs on the sofa last night but I couldn't sleep."
The damage from the bullet can be seen on the front door and also inside the house on the stair post. Even a black puffa jacket hanging on a hook in the hallway was peppered with large pellet holes, its lining hanging out.
'They jumped over the fence'
A neighbour Tania Goodall, 29, was indoors with her partner and children when they were alerted by the sound of two bangs.
The mother-of-two said she saw a group of people running up the road, some of whom jumped over the garden fence of a neighbour's home opposite her house.
"They tried the door first but couldn't open it so they jumped over it," she said.
"I rang the police straight away. It was frightening. We've only lived here since August, it's a quiet street, but it's made us worry about staying here now."
Arrests
A 24-year-old man and 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of wounding on Friday and remaind in custody on Saturday afternoon.
Superintendent Tom Chisholm, from Wolverhampton police, said on Saturday: "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.
"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.
"Detectives are working tirelessly to try and understand the motive, which remains unclear at present.
"We’re determined to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
"If anyone was in the area at the time and saw what happened or anyone knows who is responsible, I would urge them to get in touch. This can be done in confidence."
