Police 'not doing enough' after son shot - mum

Zack had to have surgery to remove the pellet from his arm

The mother of a boy who was shot in the arm with an air rifle has criticised the police response after her son has not yet been interviewed by officers.

Zack, 13, was one of six people injured when they came under fire on Wednesday on Richmond Park Avenue in Sheffield, leading to five teenagers being arrested and bailed.

His mother, Donna, said it was "heartbreaking" to see her son in pain and she had been "shocked" to hear those arrested had been released under investigation. "We just want justice for them. It’s just not fair," she said.

South Yorkshire Police said they understood residents were worried by the shootings and their investigation was ongoing.

An x-ray showed the pellet inside Zack's arm

Four boys, aged seven, 11, 13, and 15, a seven-year-old girl and a 62-year-old woman were injured in the shooting. One of the children was shot in the head.

Donna said she was called to be told "get to Zack straight away, he's been shot".

The pellet had gone into his arm and was protruding out, with an X-ray showing the damage before he had it removed in surgery.

The shooting happened as the boys sat on a wall outside a community centre

"Zack phoned me up when I was on my way and he was just screaming, and he was crying, 'just get to me mum, where are you, mum hurry up, I need you'.

"Zack doesn’t show emotion, so for him to be like that is absolutely heartbreaking," she said.

A 15-year-old girl, two boys aged 15 and 16, and two 18-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and GBH, South Yorkshire Police said.

They were bailed pending further inquiries, the force added.

But Donna said she wanted more updates on the case.

One of the injured children was hit in the head

"They’ve not been out to interview Zack at all. I’ve had two phone calls from the police. Each time I’ve spoken to someone different.

"We just got told the main officer in charge wasn’t working until the Monday."

Since the incident, the estate had been "so quiet", with other children being scared to go out, she said.

She said she wanted the alleged shooters to be in custody, adding: "It’s still a firearm, it’s still a gun and it’s done damage and they should pay the price."

Det Supt Nicola Leach, of South Yorkshire Police, said the force understood the incident had caused "concerns and worry" in the community,

"This was an isolated incident involving an air weapon, which unfortunately led to six people being injured and requiring hospital treatment. We want to reassure residents that we are continuing our investigation.

"We are working closely with our partner agencies to address some of the concerns which have been raised to us, we want the local community to know that these conversations are happening now and have residents' priorities at the forefront of these."

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