Cambrian Terrace Holbeck: Leeds residents left in shock after teenage boy found shot and stabbed in street
Shocked neighbours were left in disbelief to hear that a teenage boy had been shot and stabbed before being found on a residential street in Leeds.
Parents living in Holbeck described feeling worried for their own kids after the incident, on Cambrian Terrace, that saw the 16-year-old victim hospitalised over the weekend.
It comes after West Yorkshire Police launched an attempted murder investigation following the violent attack reported in the early hours of Sunday morning (October 13).
Officers were called to the scene, where the teenager had been found seriously injured. He was taken to hospital for treatment to machete wounds on his leg and arm, as well as injuries that were consistent with a shotgun discharge.
His injuries are not considered life threatening and he is continuing to receive treatment.
This morning (October 15), police were still at the scene on Cambrian Terrace as a cordon remained in place for the third day. It is unclear when it will be removed, although it may be a few days still before it is taken down. Later today, it is expected that forensic teams will return for further investigations.
A 43-year-old man, who lives on the street, was trying to get back through the police cordon to his house shortly before midday. He said: “This is the quiet bit of Beeston. I’ve been here for five years and this is the worst I’ve seen it.
“It happened right outside my property. I didn’t hear owt, I was in bed and I’d had a drink.
“I just want to let the police carry on with their job and hopefully make an arrest.”
He continued: “Beeston has been known for [crime], but not down here. When you compare the other end of Beeston to down here, it’s quiet.”
The neighbour described how the incident has brought an uncomfortable atmosphere to the area. He said: “There’s a field at the back and you see kids playing football there every day, it’s a joy to see. But since Sunday, you don’t see them out.”
He added: “I have to give my name to get back in [my house]. It’s a joke. But I suppose it’s the nature of things when there's a crime, the police are only doing their job at the end of the day.”
The street where the boy was found is located a short walk from Holbeck Moor Park, just behind an underpass beneath the M621. This morning (October 15), there were few walkers in the green space as light rain showers soaked nearby play equipment.
Two mums, who live in Holbeck, said they feared crime could be on the rise in the area.
“We’ve had issues with different types of crime. Someone was attacked before, but we’ve never known a 16-year-old to be attacked before,” said one of the women, who is 37-years-old.
She continued: “To be honest, I just think it’s happening a little bit more often. Our concern is probably that we both have young children. I have a 15-year-old boy and this is the way he would go to school. It’s not something that happened really when we were younger.”
Her friend added: “I was shocked when I read about it online. My concern is the timings. I wouldn’t want [my child] out too early or too late. It’s a concern, but I wouldn’t want to worry him either, or make him think he can’t go out.”
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: “The criminal use of firearms on our streets is something we will always treat extremely seriously, and we are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the full circumstances and to identify those responsible.
“Although the injuries the victim has received are not life-threatening, this attack could easily have had fatal consequences and we are treating it as attempted murder.
“We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed any part of this incident, particularly anyone with relevant dashcam or doorbell camera footage, or who has any information that could assist the investigation.
“We recognise that an incident of this nature will cause understandable concern in the community, and we will be continuing to liaise with our colleagues at Leeds District who will be maintaining an increased presence in the area to reassure people.”
Those with information have been urged to call 101 quoting Operation Pushcart crime reference 13240557245.
Information can be shared anonymously with independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.