A teenager has told of his terror after he and three friends were blasted by a masked gunman in his own home.
The 18-year-old and his pals were all injured when the intruder burst in and fired a shotgun from close range.
He believes only one shot was fired but pellets scattered, hitting all four of them.
One of the young men, aged 24, took the brunt of the shot.
More than 20 pellets peppered his left leg, leaving him badly hurt. He remains “stable” in hospital.
The others escaped with minor wounds.
The teenager, who asked not to be named, said: “It was terrifying.
“I’ve moved back home and I’m scared to be alone. I’m still having nightmares.”
The teenager told the Examiner how he was at his home in St Stephen’s Road, Lockwood, with three friends around 1am on Tuesday.
The friends – the two others are 26 and 25 – were “chilling out” and playing music when suddenly the gunman burst in.
“Three of us were in the basement and the other in a back room,” said the teenager.
“Suddenly the gunman burst in and told us to get down and put our hands up.
“Then my mate came in, not realising what was happening, and tried to push him.
“The next thing I heard a bang. The gunman ran off and we were just running around, shocked.”
The teenager didn’t realise he was injured until ambulance crews checked him over.
He had two pellets in his right foot which were due to be removed yesterday .
All four were taken by the same ambulance to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Speaking from his family home in Thornton Lodge, the teenager said he was arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs as he waited to be x-rayed in hospital.
He was handcuffed as he sat on his bed.
After treatment – at around 5am – he was taken to Huddersfield Police Station and interviewed later that afternoon.
At around 7.30pm he was released without charge and told there would be “no further action”.
The teenager said he was angry at being branded a drug dealer and added: “I have nothing to do with drugs.
“I was a victim here but I was treated like a criminal. I have been released without charge.”
While the teenager was in custody police executed a search warrant at his family home, causing upset for relatives including his elderly grandmother who speaks no English.
The family says officers spent an hour at the house but found nothing.
Police returned later offering to install a panic alarm but the family refused.
The teenager added: “All the time the police were investigating me there was a gunman on the loose.
“He came into my house but it could have been anyone’s. It was just random.”
The teenager said since the attack some of his hair had fallen out due to stress and he was having nightmares.
“It’s been horrendous,” he said.
Police confirmed the two other men, aged 26 and 25, were also arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs. Both were also released without charge.
The 25-year-old, who had 17 pellets in his leg, also denied any involvement with drugs.
He added: “This has caused us lots of grief with our families. It’s not right.”
The seriously injured man was not arrested.
