The family of a 14-year-old schoolboy who was shot in both knees as he answered the door to his home are believed to have have been taken into protective custody.
The boy, named locally as Khalil Hogan, underwent surgery after he was shot twice on Tuesday night. Police believe that the gunman, thought to have used a shotgun, may have got the wrong house.
Khalil collapsed in the hallway of the house where he lives with his grandmother, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, but managed to shut the door and crawl into the kitchen. The emergency services were called and he was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
He was said to be in a stable but serious condition last night as police waited to talk to him to get more information about the attacker. Detectives have asked for help from people living near Khalil’s home and have issued an appeal on YouTube in an attempt to catch the gunman.
Neighbours described Khalil, who has never been in trouble with the police, as a “lovely and polite boy”. The Times understands that several members of his family have been taken to a safe house, including his mother, who lives nearby.
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Khalil’s sister, Shineka, 18, also lives close by, with her aunt. She said: “I think that someone got the wrong house. Khalil has never been in trouble so it can’t be anything to do with school. He never hangs around with other boys and neither drinks nor smokes.
“My older sister and her boyfriend were with him at the house at the time the gunman called and were watching TV when the doorbell rang. Khalil went to answer the door and there were two loud bangs. He said there was one man at the door but didn’t say anything else about what he saw.
“My sister called me and told me and I just remember shaking uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe it. I dropped everything and ran to the house. I saw him lying on the kitchen floor with a blanket over his legs.
“Khalil is just a kid — a really good one at that. He has never done anything wrong so I just can’t understand how or why this has happened. He goes to church every Sunday. He loves football and wants to do something in sports when he grows up.”
Khalil’s cousin, Charnell, 16, said: “He would never get into trouble or hurt anyone. That’s why I think the person who did this got the wrong house.”
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Police have made inquiries on the estate where Khalil and his family lives. Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Mears, of Thames Valley Police, said: “We are currently gathering evidence and following a number of lines of inquiry. No motive has been established yet.”
A police spokesman added: “All possibilities are open, including the fact that it could have been a case of mistaken identity.”