Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Cops probe ‘gun’ incident at shop
POLICE are investigating a suspected gun incident at a Dundee newsagent.
Officers were called to Ali’s Newsagent in Balmore Street, Stobswell, at 2.15pm yesterday.
Muhammad Marshad, 68, who works in the shop, told the Tele that a man had barricaded himself inside the store following an altercation in the street.
He was later told by officers that a second man outside the shop may have had a gun.
Mr Marshad told the Tele: “Initially I didn’t realise a weapon had been involved.
“However when police played my CCTV cameras back later they pointed out that one of the men was holding something that they said to me looked like a gun.
“The police were the ones who used the word gun to me and said the black object could have been a gun.
“Later when I thought about it I realised that the whole thing could have been a lot worse.”
Mr Marshad said that he was alone in his shop when he heard shouting and a lot of activity from outside.
He said: “I looked out and saw three men and a woman.
“They all looked to be in their 30s and they were obviously having an argument of some kind.
“Next thing, one of the men barged his way into the shop and barricaded himself in so the others outside couldn’t get to him.”
Mr Marshad says he asked the man to leave his shop and when he wouldn’t, police were called.
He said: “The men were all very aggressive and were all shouting and pointing at me as well.
“They didn’t steal anything or threaten me. It was all between themselves. It was frightening though to discover later that there might have been a gun involved. “Eventually the man left the shop.” A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police are investigating an incident at Ali’s Newsagent in Balmore Street at 2.15pm yesterday.”
She said she was not in a position to give any further details at this stage but it’s understood officers were due to return to the scene today to investigate further.
Locals spoke of seeing scenes of crime officers at the store in the aftermath of yesterday’s incident. Anil Reward, 42, who owns a newsagent in Albert Street, across the road from Mr Marshad’s shop, said he was concerned to hear that a gun might have been involved.
He said: “You expect to hear about that kind of thing from down south but not here in Dundee.
“That’s really quite frightening to think a gun could have been on the streets of Dundee in broad daylight on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
“I’m relieved to hear that Mr Marshad is alright.”