Police appeal after reports of firearms discharge in east Manchester

Officers investigating reports of a firearms discharge in the Abbey Hey area of Manchester yesterday are appealing to the public for further information.

Shortly before 4.30pm on Saturday 13 February police were called to reports of shots being fired towards an address on Sandown Street.

Two men in balaclavas and wearing black clothing are understood to have alighted from a white Audi Q5 with weapons when the discharges are reported to have occurred.

One of the men is described as white and skinny, wearing a black tracksuit with a white stripe on the bottoms and was wearing a black man-bag.

The second man is also described as white, possibly with a moustache, and was said to be wearing a black woolly bob hat and a black puffer jacket.

The Audi was reported to police as abandoned 45 minutes later on Midgley Avenue and has since been recovered to be forensically examined as evidence.

Three men, all believed to be white, were seen to leave the car before walking off towards the nearby area of Debdale Park.

A scene remained in place overnight and into Sunday (14 February) morning and no evidence of a discharge has yet been found.

The scene has since been closed and enquiries are ongoing.

No injuries or damage has been reported to police and no arrests have been made.

Investigators believe the attack is a targeted and isolated incident and are appealing to the public to contact them with any further information.

Detective Inspector Paddy Connell, of GMP’s City of Manchester North CID, said: “Our enquiries into this incident are at a relatively early stage and while we are yet to find evidence of any shots being fired from a firearm, we are taking these reports very seriously and are speaking to a number of witnesses to ascertain the circumstances.

“I am appealing to anyone who saw or heard what happened yesterday afternoon to make contact with us if they haven’t already done so, particularly if they saw a white Audi Q5 in the area between 4pm and 5.15pm, when the car was found abandoned.

“The car has since been seized and will be forensically examined to try and uncover further evidence of what occurred yesterday, and I would like to make it clear to the public that we are doing all we can to establish the full details of the incident and identify those involved to ultimately hold them responsible.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 1146 quoting incident 1935 of 13/02/2021. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.