Birmingham: Men convicted after boy paralysed in shooting

Diago Anderson and Zidann Edwards have been found guilty of attempted murder

Two men and a teenager have been found guilty of the attempted murder of a 13-year-old boy who was paralysed in a shooting.

Gunshots were fired at the victim in the Hockley Circus underpass in Birmingham as he was on his way to get food with friends, police said.

Zidann Edwards and Diago Anderson, both 20, and a 17-year-old were convicted at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

West Midlands Police called the attack "unprovoked and callous".

The convicted teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and, at a previous hearing, had admitted possession of a knife.

Following the shooting in November 2021, the injured boy managed to phone 999 despite his life-changing injuries, the force said.

The handgun, recovered by police, believed to be involved in the shooting

Police said CCTV footage uncovered as part of the investigation showed a car travelling along the A41 before stopping in a service road.

Edwards, Anderson and the 17-year-old boy were then seen getting out of the vehicle, according to the force.

The 13-year-old boy and his friends were chased into the underpass and within seconds a home-made shotgun, known as a slam gun, was fired, with the victim struck in the back.

The teenager was shot as he walked close to Hockley Circus in Birmingham

The footage showed the defendants running from the scene and driving off, said police.

"The unprovoked and callous actions of Zidann Edwards, Diago Anderson and the 17-year-old boy, changed the life of an innocent 13-year-old boy and his family forever," Det Insp Michelle Cordell said.

"The impact of their actions are truly heart breaking and my thoughts remain with the boy, his family and friends."

The convicted trio are due to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 7 October.