Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued an urgent appeal for information after a drive-by shooting in Manchester over the weekend left a teenage girl hospitalised.
It has been confirmed that an investigation is now underway.
The investigation comes after police we were called to reports of a person injured outside an address on Quinney Crescent in the Moss Side area of the city shortly before 10.30pm on Friday 29 July, and the victim – a 16-year-old girl – was taken to hospital in a stable condition, with a wound that GMP says it believes was “caused by a firearms discharge”.
The teenage girl’s physical injuries are thankfully understood to not be serious, according to GMP, and officers are confirmed to be with her and her family as she continues to recover in hospital.
Detectives from GMP’s Longsight CID say they believe that a single shot was fired by a passing vehicle at a crowd outside the address where a party was being held, and while it’s not thought that the girl was the intended target, enquiries are moving at pace to “establish the reason for the incident” and the people responsible for it.
No arrests are confirmed to have been made at this time.
In the aftermath of the shocking incident, an extensive cordon was put in place at the scene while police investigated, additional officers were seen patrolling the area, and wider Section 60 ‘stop and search’ powers were obtained to be used in parts of the Hulme, Moss Side and Whalley Range areas of the city over the weekend.
Members of the public with concerns or information were encouraged to approach officers and talk to them with confidence.
“My thoughts are with the victim whose physical injuries are thankfully not serious, but that does not diminish what could’ve happened here as incidents of this nature are always reckless, serious and risk lives being lost,” said Chief Superintendent Robert Cousen.
“We’re doing all we can to unpick the circumstances of this incident and to ensure that whoever is responsible is caught and brought to justice.”
He continued: “I thank the local community for their support and cooperation while this takes place and ask anyone with information to get in touch, as we know there was a party happening last night that we are confident will provide us with a number of potential witnesses to what occurred.”
Anyone with information should contact us online via the LiveChat facility on the GMP website, or by calling 0161 856 4382 quoting incident 3388 of 29/07/2022.
Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP