Birmingham shooting: boy, 13, was left paralysed after gang members shot him with a homemade gun

Three gang members left a 13-year-old boy paralysed after a murder bid where he was shot with a homemade gun.

Zidann Edwards and Diago Anderson, both 20, and a 17-year-old, are facing jail after being convicted of attempted murder.

After the shooting Edwards even made a drill rap music video expressing his regret that he had failed to kill the young boy.

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

A court heard the teen was only gunned down because he had strayed on to the “turf” of a Birmingham gang called Armed Response.

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

13-year-old boy left a paraplegic from shooting

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

CCTV showed a stolen Nissan screeching up alongside the teenage victim before Edwards, Anderson and the 17-year-old got out of the car.

The 13-year-old 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.

The footage showed the trio running from the scene and driving off and the car was later recovered by officers and forensically linked to the suspects.

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 the 17-year-old and further examination helped to prove this was the weapon used in the attack.

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

All three were convicted of attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court and will face lengthy jail terms when they are sentenced on 7 October.

The 17-year-old was also found guilty of with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a prohibited weapon.

‘The impact of their actions are truly heartbreaking’

Detective Inspector Michelle Cordell, from West Midlands Police Force CID, said: “The unprovoked and callous actions of Zidann Edwards, Diago Anderson and the 17-year-old boy, changed the life of an innocent 13-year-old boy and his family forever.

“The impact of their actions are truly heart breaking and my thoughts remain with the boy, his family and friends.

“From the outset, my team 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 victim 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.”