Teenager, 15, shot in Coventry City Centre

[dutchman]

Investigations were carried out at the scene



A teenage boy was shot in a drive-by shooting in Coventry leaving him with life-changing injuries last night.

It is believed the 15-year-old was standing near the McDonald's on Cross Cheaping at around 11.10pm when a motorbike carrying a number of people drove by.

A weapon was fired and the teenager was hit.

He was taken to hospital to undergo surgery and was today said to have life changing, but not life threatening, injuries.

A 20-year-old standing nearby also suffered superficial injuries.

West Midlands Police have now launched an attempted murder enquiry into the shooting which one officer described as 'appalling and reckless'.

Pictures from the scene show a large number of police attended the scene, alongside paramedics and forensic investigators.

Members of the public were also present milling around the cordon which closed part of Cross Cheaping and The Burges.

The street was cordoned off as forensic officers carried out an investigation of the scene but it has now been cleared and the road re-opened this morning.

McDonald's was open as usual this morning and no police remained on the scene at 8:30 this morning.

A statement from police said enquiries were underway to establish if the shooting was connected to two other incidents in the city centre at around the same time.

A knife was recovered from a bag in the Cosy Club on Cathedral Lanes where three people were arrested at around 11.30pm.

An 18-year-old was also robbed of jewellery in the nearby Litten Tree pub.

[dutchman]

Coventry shooting: Teen was 'targeted' in drive-by attack

Detectives now believe the shooting of a teenager in Coventry city centre was "a targeted attack".

Police were called to Cross Cheaping at around 11.10pm on Saturday (July 20) after reports of a drive-by shooting.

It is believed the 15-year-old was standing near McDonald’s when a motorbike carrying a number of people drove past and a weapon was fired.

The teenager was taken to hospital for surgery. He remains in a serious condition.

Detectives are no longer linking this incident with two other incidents that happened around the same time.

Detective Inspector Kat Sibley, from Force CID, said: “We now believe this was a targeted attack with no threat to the wider public, but we’ll be deploying extra officers to the area to give reassurance.

“We are determined to bring the people responsible to justice as swiftly as possible. I would encourage anyone with information to get in touch."

They'll be telling us next it was drug-gang related!

[rebbonk]

The licensee of the Coventry Cross has been on F/B telling the media in no uncertain terms that he will not sell them his CCTV nor offer up any information.

Otherwise on social media, it appears that the victim is not exactly a paragon of virtue and that he may well have been deliberately targeted.

If the police don't control the city, vigilantees will!

[Jock Strapp]

Well said Rebbonk Why would a 15 year old be in the city centre at 11.10 with school the following day, up to no good perhaps. The motorcyclists must have known exactly where would be at that time, drug dealing? I also wondered how many people were on that motorcycle, the report is a little vague about that. As for the licencee of the Coventry Cross. I thought that it is an offence withhold evidence. It would appear that he has some axe to grind.

[rebbonk]

As for the licencee of the Coventry Cross. I thought that it is an offence withhold evidence.

As far as I know, it's only the media (The Sun in particular I hear) he has told where to get off, Jock.