Moment three thugs flee after shooting boy, 13, leaving him paralysed

Moment three thugs flee shooting after gunning down boy, 13, with homemade weapon and leaving him paralysed after he ‘strayed onto their turf’ – as the trio are jailed for life

• Three men have been jailed after shooting a boy, 13, in the spine last November
• Zidann Edwards and Diago Anderson, both 20, and Tafique Thomas, 17, shot him
• The 13-year-old victim was attacked while out with his friends in Birmingham 
• He was left paraplegic after one of the pellets passed through his spinal cord
• After the attack, Edwards made a drill rap music video about failing to kill him 

Three thugs caught on CCTV fleeing a shooting after they gunned down a 13-year-old boy using a homemade gun, leaving him paralysed, have been jailed for life.

where a 13-year-old boy was left paralysed after being shot in the spine with a homemade gun have been jailed for life.

Zidann Edwards and Diago Anderson, both 20, and 17-year-old Tafique Thomas gunned down the schoolboy after he ‘strayed onto their turf’ in Birmingham.

The victim and his friends were on their way to get food when he was attacked in an underpass at Hockley Circus on November 18 last year.

A court heard the teen was shot because he crossed into the territory of a notorious gang called Armed Response.

Following the chilling attack, Edwards even made a drill rap music video expressing his regret that he had failed to kill the young boy.

Three thugs caught on CCTV fleeing a shooting where a 13-year-old boy was left paralysed after being shot in the spine with a homemade gun have been jailed for life

Zidann Edwards and Diago Anderson, both 20, gunned down the schoolboy after he ‘strayed onto their turf’ in Birmingham

The victim and his friends were on their way to get food when he was attacked, by Edwards, Anderson and Tafique Thomas, 17 (pictured), in an underpass at Hockley Circus on November 18 last year

The victim managed to call 999 despite his injuries to tell the ambulance service he had been shot.

Firearms officers provided life-saving first aid before paramedics arrived and the youngster was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.

The court heard the boy has been left paraplegic as a result of one of the pellets passing through his spinal cord.

CCTV revealed a stolen Nissan screeching up alongside the teenage victim before Edwards, Anderson and Thomas got out of the car.

The boy and his friends were then chased into the underpass before the lad was blasted in the back with a home-made shotgun, known as a slam gun.

Footage released by police shows the trio running from the scene and driving off and the car was later recovered and forensically linked to the suspects.

The boy and his friends were then chased into the underpass before the lad was blasted in the back with a home-made shotgun (pictured), known as a slam gun

Officers arrested them and recovered more evidence, including the clothing they wore on the day of the shooting along with several phones.

Police also recovered a handgun and a slam gun from an address linked to Thomas and further examination helped prove this was the weapon used in the attack.

All three were convicted of attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court in August and were jailed for life on Friday.

Thomas, who can now be identified after reporting restrictions were lifted, was also found guilty of with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Edwards was jailed for a minimum of 17 years, Anderson for a minimum of 18 years and Thomas for a minimum of 16 years and eight months.

CCTV revealed a stolen Nissan screeching up alongside the teenage victim before Edwards, Anderson and Thomas got out of the car

Following the case, the mum of the paralysed teen said: ‘These cowards didn’t even ask my son a simple question, they just ran him down and shot my 13-year-old in his back, like he was nothing.

‘But my son is strong, strong like a lion and no weapon formed against him will ever prosper.’

Detective Inspector Michelle Cordell, from West Midlands Police CID, said: ‘The unprovoked and callous actions these three young men has changed the life of an innocent boy forever.

‘The events of that evening are simply heart breaking – it did not need to happen and I am deeply saddened by the fear the young boy must have felt before being so seriously injured.

‘Gun crime is so damaging, there are never any winners. I hope the outcome today sends a really clear message to anyone engaging in gang or gun crime.

Officers arrested them and recovered more evidence, including the clothing they wore on the day of the shooting along with several phones 

‘It’s a serious offence for which you will be punished.

‘While no sentence can ever change the tragic events of that day, I hope that it provides some comfort to the boy and his family as they continue to rebuild their lives.

‘My team have worked tirelessly with internal and external colleagues and partners to gather and present the evidence in this case.

‘Their collective hard work and dedication led has helped achieve justice for the young boy and his family.

‘Our primary focus is always to prevent these incidents from happening, but sadly we do continue to see gun violence on our streets.

‘We need our communities to come together to help us in our fight against gun and gang related crime.’

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