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Boy, 12, is shot by mistake in gang turf war
A BOY aged 12 has cheated death after being shot during a drive-by assassination attempt as a bitter drug gang turf war exploded in fresh violence at the weekend.
The schoolboy needed emergency surgery after a bullet pierced his left thigh when a gunman opened fire in Sheffield on Sunday afternoon.
Detectives say it was a targeted attack, but the would-be killer mistook his intended victim and instead opened fire on a group of boys that police believe were “entirely innocent”.
South Yorkshire Police said the injured youngster, who was last night undergoing surgery, was a bystander inadvertently “caught in the line of fire” in the troubled Arbourthorne area of the city.
The boy was standing outside a sandwich shop with three friends aged 13, 15 and 16 when a white car, understood to be a Ford Focus, drove past and the gunman began firing at about 3.45pm.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Forber described the incident as “horrendous” as he revealed how another local male had been the target of the attack following a “fall-out” between two organised crime groups.
Mr Forber said: “This was a horrendous crime. A 12-year-old innocent boy has suffered a gunshot injury. He was a young lad, looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon with his mates.
“It’s really important to say that we do not believe that the victim or his friends were the target, and they are entirely innocent bystanders to this incident.”
The shooting follows a number of incidents that have taken place since mid-November involving two rival gangs battling for supremacy on the city’s sprawling Manor Estate.
Mr Forber added: “The answer to this lies within the community.
“We know, I know, that an incident like this strikes absolute fear in the heart of the community, that is obvious.
“But I also know that the people who perpetrate this kind of violence rely on that fear, they rely on people not coming forward, they rely on people being scared, that’s how they carry on their business.”