Air gun sniper shoots father and son in the street in broad daylight as they help family friend fill a skip outside his business
A father and his teenage son were shot
in broad daylight by an airgun sniper as they helped a family friend
fill a skip at his business.
Alan Brindle, 39, and his 13-year-old son Ryan were hit by pellets in the chest and the arm respectively in the incident on Mosley Street, Blackburn.
A third man, Christian Rivers, was shot in the hip as he walked along the road. The 20-year-old said he heard the two shots fired at Mr Brindle and his son before he was struck by an air gun pellet.
All the men suffered painful bruising but did not need hospital treatment.
Mr Brindle, from Ewood, said he was helping his friend have a clear out at his business premises when the incident happened at around 12.30pm yesterday.
He and his son were shot as they put items into a skip at Mosley Works, the former Christ Church.
'We never saw it coming. I was looking around everywhere to see where the shots were coming from,' he said.
'It's a real shock because you don't expect someone to take shots at you while you are standing in the middle of the street during the afternoon.
'I was hit before I heard anything so he got me on the first shot in the chest.
'Ryan heard the shot and the next thing he was holding his arm.'
Mr Rivers said: 'It must have been from close by because of how hard it struck, but you couldn't see anybody.
'I think there were only three shots, so he hasn't missed once.
'I knew the sound, I knew it was an airgun but I wasn't expecting to be hit. It was really painful and stung for ages afterwards.'
Tony Duxbury, who owns electrical engineering firm Agat Control Gear Ltd, which is based at the Mosley Street works, said the airgun pellets could have caused serious injury.
'It is really shocking when you can't stand outside your own business without someone taking a shot at you,' he said.
'Alan and Ryan were just helping me out and now they've been injured.'
Neighbours said they were alarmed that people had been deliberately targeted.
Nathan Morrison, who lives on Mosley Street, said: 'I've not heard of anything like that happening around here before. I hope the police catch whoever it was.
'I have young kids and I don't fancy them taking pot shots at us as we walk around. It's shocking they've targeted people like that.'
Another resident, who preferred not to be named, said: 'Things like that are getting much worse around here. There's been loads of nuisance on the street recently. It does make you worry when people do things like this.'
Lancashire police are investigating the incident.
A police spokesman said: 'The use of an air weapon in this way is an obvious concern but fortunately not an everyday incident.
'The incident is being thoroughly investigated to prevent further disorder in this area. We urge anyone with information to come forward and help us with our inquiries.'
Alan Brindle, 39, and his 13-year-old son Ryan were hit by pellets in the chest and the arm respectively in the incident on Mosley Street, Blackburn.
A third man, Christian Rivers, was shot in the hip as he walked along the road. The 20-year-old said he heard the two shots fired at Mr Brindle and his son before he was struck by an air gun pellet.
Shot at random: Christian Rivers, left, Ryan
Brindle, middle, and his father Alan, right, show off the injuries they
suffered after each was hit by a single pellet fired by an unknown
sniper on Mosley Street in Blackburn
Mr Brindle, from Ewood, said he was helping his friend have a clear out at his business premises when the incident happened at around 12.30pm yesterday.
He and his son were shot as they put items into a skip at Mosley Works, the former Christ Church.
'We never saw it coming. I was looking around everywhere to see where the shots were coming from,' he said.
'It's a real shock because you don't expect someone to take shots at you while you are standing in the middle of the street during the afternoon.
'I was hit before I heard anything so he got me on the first shot in the chest.
'Ryan heard the shot and the next thing he was holding his arm.'
Police investigate at the scene of the
shootings: Mr Brindle and Ryan were shot as they put rubbish in a skip
outside Mosley Works, a former church building. Mr Rivers was shot as he
merely walked down the street
'I think there were only three shots, so he hasn't missed once.
'I knew the sound, I knew it was an airgun but I wasn't expecting to be hit. It was really painful and stung for ages afterwards.'
Tony Duxbury, who owns electrical engineering firm Agat Control Gear Ltd, which is based at the Mosley Street works, said the airgun pellets could have caused serious injury.
'It is really shocking when you can't stand outside your own business without someone taking a shot at you,' he said.
'Alan and Ryan were just helping me out and now they've been injured.'
Appeal: Police are asking anyone with
information about the shootings to come forward. They said such
incidents are rare, but one local resident said that the area had
suffered from a lot of 'nuisance' recently
Nathan Morrison, who lives on Mosley Street, said: 'I've not heard of anything like that happening around here before. I hope the police catch whoever it was.
'I have young kids and I don't fancy them taking pot shots at us as we walk around. It's shocking they've targeted people like that.'
Another resident, who preferred not to be named, said: 'Things like that are getting much worse around here. There's been loads of nuisance on the street recently. It does make you worry when people do things like this.'
Lancashire police are investigating the incident.
A police spokesman said: 'The use of an air weapon in this way is an obvious concern but fortunately not an everyday incident.
'The incident is being thoroughly investigated to prevent further disorder in this area. We urge anyone with information to come forward and help us with our inquiries.'
