Girl injured as shotgun fired and pipe bombs thrown on Black Country street
A teenage girl was injured after a shotgun was fired and homes were evacuated as the bomb squad was called to a Black Country street overnight.
Coronation Road in Tipton remained cordoned off at midday today after two pipe bombs – thrown at a house – were discovered by police.
A shotgun was fired at visitors to a property just after midnight – with the teenager being caught in the crossfire and hit by shotgun pellets.
She remains in surgery to remove some of the pellets, but no-one else was injured, officers from West Midlands Police confirmed.
The pipe bombs did not detonate and have been recovered or forensic examination – prompting a police appeal.
The incident saw the Army's Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal sent to the scene and made the items safe.
The disposal experts were seen putting on protective gear behind the police cordon as the ambulance service's hazardous area response team waited on standby.
Residents were allowed back into their homes around four hours later.
A neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said he heard what sounded like three loud bangs around midnight.
He said: "We heard the bangs and thought they were like fireworks going off, then the police and ambulance started to turn up and we saw what looked like ball bearings on the ground.
"We've just had twins and another two kids at home, so it was frightening for us to be told to evacuate our house because of what was going on as we were away from our house for around fours hours and not knowing what was going on.
"Something like this makes you wonder as I could have been out there with my kids in the garden when what happened happened."
A local man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had heard what sounded like a motorbike speeding off after hearing the noises.
He said: "I heard the bangs and went to have a look, but it wasn't until the police got here that we started to see what had happened.
"They also cordoned off the house and the rest of the road because they seemed to find another device that didn't explode, which the police nearly drove over, and a used gun cartridge on the floor."
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "A shotgun was fired at visitors to the address just after midnight. Unfortunately a teenage girl, was caught in the crossfire and was hit by shotgun pellets. She remains in hospital for surgery to remove some of the pellets. No-one else was injured.
"Two pipe bombs were also thrown towards the property, however these did not detonate and have been recovered for forensic examination.
"We are in the early stages of this inquiry and detectives are examining CCTV and asking anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken to officers to get in touch via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 quoting log 44 of June 24."
The Explosives Ordnance Division were also the scene as forensic experts examined the area.
An ambulance and a critical care car with a doctor onb-oard attended the scene along with the hazardous area response team.
Jordan Eggington, spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "We treated a teenage girl for injuries not believed to be serious before taking her to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for further treatment.
"A man and woman were also treated for minor injuries and discharged at the scene.”
Reporter James Vukmirovic was at the scene:
Anyone with information is urged to contact West Midlands Police by calling 101 and quoting log number 44 of June 24.
