'This street is full of violence': Terror as two men shot in broad daylight in Birmingham
People living on a Birmingham street have spoken of their terror after two men were shot in broad daylight.
It happened in Wheeler Street in Newtown on Saturday afternoon (9 July), and two victims, aged 22 and 21, were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds.
It becomes the fourth gun-related incident in Birmingham in 48 hours and West Midlands Police have said gun violence must end.The double attack followed the fatal shooting of dad Mohammed Kasim, who was shot as he sat in a car with another man in Eversley Road, Small Heath, in the early hours of Thursday, July 7.
On the same day, an unconnected shooting saw a teenager wounded in the leg in Clissold Street in Ladywood, and in a fourth incident, shots were fired at an unknown victim.
One woman living on Wheeler Street in Newtown said Saturday's double shooting was the third to happen near her home since she moved there six years ago.
Her daughters told her to "lie on the floor" after they saw the attack took place through their downstairs window.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "I was sleeping when it happened but my daughters were sat by the window and they saw it all.
"A car went past and then they heard gunshots, I’m not sure how many. They saw a boy lying on the floor on the corner of the road."Some of the neighbours came out to help them, they said there was another boy who had been shot round the corner so we didn’t see him.
"A man and a woman stopped to help them and the woman waved down the police car. There were two ambulances and many police cars."
"My children were in shock. They came into the room and told me to lie down on the floor. We were all lying down on the floor or on the bed, we were very scared."It's horrible, this street is full of violence. It's the worst road in Birmingham."We get a lot of crime happening here. I've lived here for six years and there have been three shootings. Many times the road has been closed by police."I have five children under 18 and they are scared. I don’t want them to see these things."There are problems with gangs and we've had police round in the past searching all the houses and gardens for people.
We just want to be safe. I don't know why they choose this road."Police are yet to confirm if the shooting is thought to be linked to either of the attacks on Thursday.Police investigating the recent shootings have said they are working to crack down on violence and bring those responsible to justice.
A spokesperson said: "We’re investigating after two people were shot in Birmingham this afternoon, July 9."It happened in Wheeler Street, Newtown, just before 5pm. Two men, aged 22 and 21, have been taken to hospital. A scene is in place as our investigation including forensic analysis, is carried out."We’re speaking to witnesses and would encourage anyone with any information to get in touch if they’ve not done so already.
"Our local neighbourhood teams are carrying out extra patrols to offer reassurance to residents as our detectives work round-the-clock on the investigations."We run regular operations to disrupt and deter violent crime and we also focus on getting firearms out of criminal hands with raids and seizures targeting gun crime hotspots.
"Gun crime and violence must stop. It has devastating consequences."
The West Midlands has the highest violent crime rate in the country, according to figures published in January, with an average of 408 violent crimes committed every day.