Gunmen hunt as gunfire is fired across two streets in Saltley hours away

Police are hunting gunmen after shots were fired on two city streets in the same area just hours apart. Shots were fired at separate houses in Saltley over four hours.

The gunfire, captured on residents’ CCTV, took place late on Monday night, June 10 and into the early hours of Tuesday, June 11. Homes on Ward End Park Road and Poppy Grove were targeted, with one Ward End Park Road resident telling BirminghamLive that the violence had become “a common occurrence”.

Police are investigating whether the two incidents are linked and have confirmed no injuries. CCTV footage, seen by BirminghamLive, showed the incident in Ward End Park Road, where shots were fired at 11.18pm on Monday 10 June.

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A car was seen slowing down near a van, then speeding off. Police confirmed shots were fired at a property on Ward End Park Road that evening.

Less than four hours later, just before 3am, shots were fired at a property on Poppy Grove, just under a mile from Ward End Park Road. CCTV footage widely shared on social media showed a dark vehicle pulling up to a property.

Gunshots then reverberated around the road, CCTV picking up the sound of ten gunshots. Footage appears to show gunshots flying from the back seat of the car and blowing out a ground floor window.

Saqib Khan, 40, was visiting his mother on Ward End Park Road when the street was roused by gunfire. Mr Khan told BirminghamLive: “It woke us up, everyone came out of the house and thought ‘what’s going on’.

Mr Khan, who splits his time between Lancashire and Birmingham, explained: “I’ve lived in that street for over 30 years. It’s a common occurrence, it’s ridiculous with the gun crimes in the area. People just don’t want to come. The police came, they put up a tent and the very next day they put up the tent while they were trying to find the bullet casings.”

Mr Khan said residents were concerned about reporting crime because of the perceived risks to them of doing so. “Some people refused to give information,” he said. “The moment you say something, because you have so many people who are connected to each other, it gets talked about.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman told BirminghamLive: “We are investigating after shots were fired at a property from a car in Ward End Park Road, Washwood Heath, just after 11pm on Monday, 10 June.

“Just before 3am yesterday, June 11, shots were fired at another property in Poppy Grove. No one was injured in either incident and inquiries are ongoing to determine if they are connected. CCTV is being reviewed.

“We know how worrying this will have been in the community with two firearms incidents in one week. Firearms have no place on our streets and we are determined to find out who was involved and why.

“We will have additional officers in the area to provide reassurance in the coming days. We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything, has dash cam footage or any other information.

“If you can help with our enquiries, you can contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 and quoting log 5563 of June 10. Information can also be given to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Tell them what you know, not who you are…”

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