Hunt for gunman after targeted shooting
Adam Hewitt • Published 8 Jun 2010 09:00
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by Adam Hewitt and Rose Harland
DETECTIVES say the victim of a gangland-style late-night shooting was deliberately targeted.
The 25-year-old Reading man was shot in the legs, and hit once in the arm, at the junction of Wokingham Road and Grange Avenue, east Reading, on Sunday night.
Witnesses said he was driven the short distance to Royal Berkshire Hospital by friends at 11.15pm and police later cordoned off the scene as officers carried out a fingertip search on Monday morning.
Emma Eastham, a 19-year-old Reading University student from Grange Avenue, said: "I was in my room and heard these two or three bangs. I thought it must be firecrackers but then there were two or three more shots. We looked out and there was blood all over the road.
"I think they bundled him into the car and took him straight to hospital."
Surjit Singh, owner of J Guri's newsagent in Wokingham Road, near Grange Avenue, said: "I heard people arguing outside, about 9-9.30pm. It sounded like men. There was swearing and arguing. After a little while, I heard 'bang, bang'."
He said he stayed indoors and added: "When the shop is closed, I don't go outside. You know that there's crime outside late at night."
Chief Supt Chris Shead said on Monday: "We do not believe this was a random attack. However, we do not at this stage understand the motive. We are putting significant resources into investigating this incident."
A 44-year-old woman from Grange Avenue, who asked not to be named, said: "I've lived here 10 years but I'm moving next week, thank God.
"I was inside my bedroom and heard three bangs, fast, one after the other. I thought 'is that a firecracker?' You don't expect to hear gunshots. But after 15 or 20 seconds there were another two shots, then I heard someone get in a car and screech off, up Grange Avenue towards Wykeham Road.
"About five minutes later a police car tore up the road but I thought 'he's long gone'.
"There was an ambulance at the end of the road for quite awhile. I thought somebody had died.
"It makes me think it's not going to be the end of it, especially if money and drugs is involved. I just think to myself, I could have been walking past the shop when it happened.
"That corner, there's always drug dealing going on there, too much goes on. People in BMWs and Mercedes pulling up, speaking on phones, leaning in windows - you can tell what's going on."
A 19-year-old shop assistant at a Wokingham Road store, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "There was some sort of argument that led to the shooting, but thank God he's ok."
A shop worker nearby, who did not want to give his name, said he was surprised at what had happened and said: "I'd say it is generally quite a safe area."
Another shop owner said: "We've been here 29 years and it's a nice community, I think it's just an isolated incident."
The victim is believed to be under police guard but a hospital spokesman refused to say whether he was still in the Royal Berks.
Anyone with information should call police on 0845 8 505 505, quoting URN 1728 of June 6, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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