Three adults were injured when a BB gun was fired from a 'passing vehicle' at members of the Jewish community on Leicester Road in Salford at around 10pm on Monday (July 20). They suffered only 'minor' injuries.
Arrests and CCTV enquiries
Following 'extensive CCTV enquiries', two suspects were identified and arrested on suspicion of aggravated common assault, Greater Manchester Police said on Thursday. No further updates have been provided by the police on Friday.
Charity statement
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) issued a statement praising the work of officers on the case. CAA said it is aware that on Monday evening, three people were injured after a BB gun was fired from a passing car at speed. Police are treating the shooting as a religiously aggravated attack on Jews. The charity also understands that the victims, all adults, sustained minor injuries.
The statement said: "Shomrim Greater Manchester, the local Jewish community neighbourhood watch patrol, accessed CCTV footage along the route and identified the vehicle registration number, assisting Greater Manchester Police, which has now arrested two suspects. The suspects have been detained on suspicion of religiously aggravated common assault and remain in custody for questioning."
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at CAA, said: "Last summer, in an unrelated incident two men filmed themselves firing a water gun from their car at Jewish passers-by. Now it has escalated to real injuries from a BB gun. What will be next?"
He added: "While we thank Greater Manchester Police for their professionalism in apprehending suspects, our message to the Government is that its extra spending on policing to protect British Jews is not the solution. Rampant extremism and Jew-hatred must be tackled at source, including the use of a conflict thousands of miles away to inflame hatred here in Britain. We are extremely grateful to the volunteers of Shomrim Greater Manchester for their remarkable diligence and we wish the victims a full and speedy recovery."
Police response
A force statement said: "Threats to our communities will not be tolerated and we're continuing to enhance our security in Jewish communities across Greater Manchester to help keep them safe on our streets." No further details about the suspects, including their age or gender, have yet been released.
