Community Calls for Soldiers After Double Fatal Shooting
A quiet Wolverhampton street has been left reeling after a double fatal shooting, with residents calling for soldiers to be deployed on the corners in a desperate bid to restore order. The incident, which occurred in the Whitmore Reans area, claimed the lives of two men and has exposed deep-seated concerns about crime in the community.
A Tragic Incident and a Community's Fear
In the early hours of September 19, at approximately 3:10 am, a gunman opened fire on a vehicle on Leicester Street. The attack proved fatal for Duaine Mills, 28, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, Syed Zain Ali, a 32-year-old father-of-three, succumbed to his injuries in hospital five days later.
The suspected shooter, Mohammed Maneer Khan, 38, remains at large. The independent charity Crimestoppers is now offering a substantial £20,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible. A police spokesperson confirmed that despite extensive CCTV enquiries and public appeals, Khan's whereabouts are still unknown.
Revealing Police Statistics for the Area
Official data from the Police UK website has laid bare the scale of crime in the postcode encompassing Leicester Street. For the month of September alone, a total of 97 crimes were reported. The breakdown reveals a troubling picture:
- 40 reports were for violence and sexual offences.
- 11 reports were for possession of weapons.
- Shoplifting accounted for 9 reports.
- The remaining 37 reports were for all other crime categories.
Focusing specifically on Leicester Street, four crimes were logged in September. Two of these were for violence and sexual offences, with one each for other theft and another crime type.
A Community's Despair and a Call for Action
In the aftermath of the shooting, the sense of alarm among locals was palpable. One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters he was "not surprised" by the violence, revealing that "two years ago someone got stabbed in the same area." He described hearing six gunshots and echoed the sentiments of others by stating, "They need to put a soldier on the street corner. The area is very bad, it’s horrible."
This feeling of decline was shared by former resident Navjet Kular, 63, who grew up in the area. He recalled a time when front doors could be left unlocked, lamenting, "The area has gone downhill, it's sad to see." Another lifelong resident, a 64-year-old man, was even more blunt, describing the inner-city suburb as a "bag of s***" and confirming that many people are now "trying to leave."
West Midlands Police continue to urge anyone with information on the shooting or the whereabouts of Mohammed Maneer Khan to come forward. You can contact them on 101, use the Live Chat on their website, or provide information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
