A murder investigation has been launched after a man in his 20s was shot dead in Sheffield.
Shortly after 1.30am on Sunday, emergency services were called to the Gleadless Valley housing estate in the south of the city, after reports that a man had been shot. The victim was found with serious gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene.
His family have been told but formal identification has yet to take place. A postmortem examination is still to be carried out.
DCI Phil Etheridge, of South Yorkshire police, said: “Incidents of this nature understandably cause significant worry and concern among our communities, and we’ve had a number of specialist resources in the area since the early hours trying to piece together what happened.
“In the early stages of a murder investigation, inquiries progress at pace as we gather as much information as we can about the incident and who may be involved.
“I want to take this opportunity to urge anyone out there who might know something to come forward.”
Gun crime in South Yorkshire has increased in recent years, with 301 firearms offences recorded between October 2021 and September 2022, a 19% increase from the previous year. Ten years ago, South Yorkshire police recorded just 84 such offences over the 12-month period.
Across England and Wales, there was a 12% increase in gun crime last year. Merseyside saw the biggest rise, a 107% increase, with the number of firearms offences up from 134 to 277 year on year.
