Armed police patrolling Wolverhampton in wake of fatal shooting
Armed police are patrolling the streets of Wolverhampton after last night's murder.
Patrols have been stepped up the city to hunt for the gunman in the wake of the fatal shooting of a man in Park Village.
A murder enquiry has been launched after the victim was shot in Valley Road at about 9.10pm.
Minutes later, officers were made aware that a man with serious injuries had been driven to nearby New Cross Hospital.
Contrary to some social media reports, the incident did not happen at the hospital, which is open as normal today.
The victim, who has not yet been formally identified but is believed to in his 20s, died in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital at around 2am.
Extra uniformed officers are working alongside firearms teams to patrol the city over the weekend.
Justice
Chief superintendent Jayne Meir, in charge of policing in Wolverhampton, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim, and they can be assured that we will work tirelessly to bring whoever was responsible for last night’s shooting to justice.
“I fully understand that impact that this and other violent crimes that have happened in Wolverhampton in recent weeks have on the city and those who live and work here.
“It’s too early to say if it is linked to any other incidents, and we are keeping an open mind.
“People can expect to see extra officers out on patrol around parts of the city over the next few days, and I’d urge anyone with concerns or information to stop and speak to them.”
A post-mortem will take place tomorrow. His family is being supported by specially trained officers.
The investigation is in its early stages and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.
New Cross Hospital was cordoned off last night while police investigated, but the cordon has been lifted this morning.
Pictures on social media showed a blue Peugeot cordoned off, which is believed to have been the car that drove the victim to hospital.
It had originally been claimed shots were fired at the hospital, but this was quickly dismissed.
Anyone with any information is being urged to contact the Homicide team at West Midlands Police on 101, quoting log 2914 of July 20.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
