Teenager charged with attempted murder of 15-year-old boy

By Tony Winterburn • Published: 09 Sep 2020 • 7:02

Police say a 15-year-old teenager has been charged with the attempted murder of a 15-year-old boy near Kesgrave High School in Suffolk.

THE boy, who is 15 years old and cannot be named for legal reasons, was also charged with firearms offences over the Monday morning attack. He was arrested by armed police just over two hours later in Ipswich, around four miles from the scene of the shooting. After being held in custody at Martlesham Police Investigation Centre he was remanded in custody and will appear via video link before Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

A long-barrelled gun was also recovered from a car matching the description of a vehicle seen driving away. The 15-year-old boy who was shot sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where he currently remains in a critical condition.

The boy was shot at about 08:40 BST on the Grange Farm estate in Kesgrave. image: Twitter

Kesgrave High School said that one of its Year 11 students had been involved in a serious incident on the way to school on Monday, but that pupils at the site were safe. Friends Walk reopened earlier on Tuesday, but patrols by officers in the Kesgrave area will continue in the coming days, as police provide reassurance to local residents and reiterate it is an isolated incident.

A police spokesman said officers would “continue to engage with schoolchildren, teachers, parents and local residents to provide reassurance.” The constabulary will also have a police pod located in Through Jollys which will provide a strong visible presence to local people,” the spokesman added.

Supt Kerry Cutler said: “Everybody is shocked, Kesgrave is on the outskirts of Ipswich, it is almost a semi-rural area, it’s very much a residential area, this is not something we’ve seen in that area before and people will be impacted by it. The investigation goes on and we’re still appealing for anybody who saw anything or has any information to come forward.”

Police declared a major accident at the scene on Monday, local residents were told to stay indoors while armed officers searched the area for weapons.