Romford man that was shot at Benfleet KFC was targeted

Romford man that was shot at Benfleet KFC was targeted

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By James Simons-

A Romford man shot in the leg at KFC in Benflet  was targeted by the masked gunmen, a police chief has said.

Chief Inspector Glen Westley, District commander for Castle Point and Rochford, has sought to allay fears that Benfleet residents may be under threat of any random shootings in the area.

The victim, in his twenties, was shot in the legs when one of two men who approached him as left the KFC produced a short gun in London Road, Benfleet, at about 10 pm on Friday.

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The Chief inspector did not disclose the reason the man was targeted because of the ongoing nature of the investigation is ongoing. He stressed that the fact the incidence happened in Benfleet was a pure coincidence.

Chief Inspector Westley told the Evening Echo “The victim is from Romford and we don’t know what he was doing in Benfleet at the time, he hasn’t given us any explanation”.

“We don’t believe this to be a random attack and we don’t believe that anyone else is at risk in connection to this incident.

This individual was targeted by the people who attacked him”.
“We are continuing to engage with the victim with a view to getting a full account of what happened and our investigations continue around forensic and CCTV opportunities.”
The chief inspector added  that there is nothing to suggest that the latest shooting was connected to a previous incident in Castle Point, which happened on Canvey last month when two men were shot in the head and neck.
Eye of media.com already surmised in our original story on this shooting that the victim and his assailants must have been known to each other. The fact he was in Benfleet despite being from Romford, shows that his attackers were already aware he was already aware the man was in Benfleet
Callum Hutchins, 20, of Mornington Road, Canvey, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and will next appear in court on Monday.
Following the shootings, Rayleigh police have mobilized more officers to Canvey to assure the public.
He said: “Public reassurance is important and we have moved officers from Rayleigh to Canvey, who will also support Benfleet.
“Castle Point and Canvey will have six extra police constables and six PCSOs relocated there until further notice to offer visibility and reassurance.”
“We will then reassess the situation later to see how we can balance resources.
“We are hopeful that we will get something out of this latest incident – we are on the front foot with this, it is not done and dusted.”
The two men who carried out the shooting fled the scene in a blue VW Golf, which was later found burnt out at Bradfields Farm, in Burnt Mills Road, Benfleet. They remain at large.
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