A GUNSHOT victim is a good guy say his neighbours.
Residents of Thornton Lodge were in shock yesterday after the man was shot in the leg in a late-night incident on Tuesday.
The shooting is believed to have been part of a continuing dispute between gangs.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the Crosland Road man had always been friendly.
She said: “He is a really good guy. I think he is from Iraq.
“He would always say ‘Hi’ to neighbours.
“I never had a problem with him or the people he lived with.
“I would never have imagined something like this would have happened to him.”
The shooting happened at about 11.30pm when a group of about 10 youths in their late teens and early 20s smashed a back window at the house.
The victim is believed to have been shot by someone standing outside.
Another man was left with cuts and bruises.
The neighbour said: “I was putting up some wallpaper and I heard glass smashing. I thought they were just getting drunk. Then I heard a bang.
“I saw the man walk out of the house to the ambulance. He had blood on his clothes.
“Nothing has ever happened like this round here before. It’s frightening. I couldn’t sleep afterwards.”
Mohammed Jhanger was driving past when the incident happened.
He said: “There were about 10 Asian lads running off up the road. One of them was carrying a wrench. It’s a nice area. Everyone gets on.”
The shot man was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Mohammed Sarfraz helped to launch an education programme called Streetwise, aimed at gun and gang culture, in Thornton Lodge.
He said: “It’s another wake-up call for the organisations and agencies in Kirklees that there are problems in our communities with guns.
“People think of Huddersfield as the place where they film Last of the Summer Wine. But there’s another side. We need to start educating people about the damage this culture can cause.”
A police spokeswoman said: “We are speaking to local community leaders and offering a reassuring presence.”
Anyone with information should call Huddersfield CID on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
