Terrifying moment gang chase after victim with machetes and handgun in broad daylight in residential area

Terrified members of the public called 999 when they saw the drama unfolding on Foundry Approach and Coldcotes Circus, in Gipton, Leeds, at about 3pm on Sunday, July 7 last year.

The petrified onlookers witnessed the masked teens armed with a gun and machetes chasing their 17-year-old target through the streets.

The gun was fired during the chase, but the bullet lodged in the barrel of the converted blank-firing pistol. The victim fled into a nearby convenience store and escaped out of the back door.

West Yorkshire Police officers were sent to the scene, and eventually found the four suspects in Brown Hill Terrace in Harehills.

A 16-year-old boy was found hiding in a garden with a machete tucked down his waistband. The three others, Kamahl Johnson, aged 19, Zane Gatewood, aged 18, and a 17-year-old were found in the garden of another property on the street.

Gatewood jumped over a fence into the neighbouring garden but was arrested by officers. He was also found with a machete down his trousers. A further machete was found in a dog kennel in the garden where the trio had been found.

A converted blank-firing handgun along with four rounds of 9mm ammunition was found in a black Louis Vuitton man-bag in the neighbouring garden. CCTV showed the 17-year-old had the handgun at the time.

A police investigation revealed the four teenagers were known members of an urban street gang, and that the boy they targeted was also linked to a rival gang.

The group had walked three miles into an area associated with the rival gang - apparently looking for any rival gang member to target.

Detailed analysis of the clothing worn by the suspects seen on CCTV chasing the victim showed exact matches for the clothing the four were arrested wearing shortly afterwards, along with the weapons recovered.

The victim did not want to co-operate with the investigation and those arrested gave no comment when interviewed. The four were subsequently charged with offences including attempted murder, affray and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

They pleaded not guilty to attempted murder but admitted the firearm offence and the affray. They were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (Feb 25).

Johnson, of Grange Crescent, Chapeltown, and Gatewood, of Pawson Street, Wakefield, were each sentenced to seven years and two months in custody; the 17-year-old was sentenced to seven years and five months and the 16-year-old was given a term of four years and nine months.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Herbert, who led the investigation, said: “The CCTV footage shows this terrifying incident unfolding on a Sunday afternoon in a residential area where it was witnessed by a large number of people including young children.

“These four had armed themselves with a viable firearm and machetes and gone hunting for a rival gang member and clearly didn’t care about the consequences or the fear their actions brought to the local community.

“The incident prompted a swift response from district officers who detained the suspects during a search of the area and recovered the weapons.

“A detailed and comprehensive investigation by specialist detectives from Leeds District Programme Precision built up a solid evidential picture of their involvement which has resulted in them being convicted and sentenced.

“Serious youth violence linked to urban street gangs remains a priority issue for the police and our partner agencies and we continue to work hard to target those involved and reduce the harm it presents to young people.

“We hope the successful outcome of this investigation will provide some reassurance to the community and demonstrate how seriously we will continue to treat any offences of this nature.”