Thornton Lodge community in shock after shooting death

Apr 7 2009 by Nick Lavigueur

RESIDENTS told of their shock as police stepped up their inquiries into a fatal shooting in Thornton Lodge.

Police are now in their fifth day of investigations into the murder of 28-year-old Iranian born Jasem Asakerth on Brook Street in the early hours of Friday.

Little new information has come to light but a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said patrols would continue to monitor the area to keep the public safe.

The police cordons have now been removed but several bouquets of flowers have been laid near the scene.

One 35-year-old man told the Examiner he hadn’t heard the shots being fired but his whole family had been woken by the police at 5.30am and told to not go outside or speak to anyone.

He said: “It’s definitely a shock, we don’t feel like going out at night time, it feels really unsafe.

“You get these thoughts in your head, what could have happened that day?

“Me and the wife were just shocked that something really serious had happened only 50m down the road.

“I don’t want to go down there, it’s kind of scary, it’s very dark down there, the street lighting’s not good.

“I have lived in Thornton Lodge all my life and this the first time ever that I know of that someone has been murdered.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the police cordons, apart from on TV.

“It shook me up a bit.”

Another resident who had lived in Thorton Lodge for more than 30 years said she was “disgusted” to have a murder scene on her doorstep.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she hadn’t heard anything on the night of shooting because she always left her radio on at night to block out the sounds of racing cars.