Man found guilty of attempted murder after boy, 16, was shot in head on busy Sheffield street
The gunman has been warned to expect a lengthy sentence
A man has been found guilty of attempted murder over the shooting of a 16-year-old boy on a busy Sheffield street.
Tanzir Ali, aged 27, was charged over a gun attack on London Road last November but denied responsibility and stood trial.
Ali, of Glencoe Road, Norfolk Park, was found guilty on Monday and is to be sentenced later in the year.
Jurors heard that Ali accepted being in possession of a gun on the night of the shooting, however claimed that he was “keeping it” for someone else who had agreed to clear his debts.
He told jurors that on the day of the shooting - November 24, 2025 - he had taken the gun out with him because he was due to return it to the owner at a meeting place in Mount Pleasant Park.
He refused to give the name of the gun’s owner, saying that he had “threatened” him and his family when the weapon was handed over.
Before returning the gun, Ali said he had met with two friends and gone for a meal on London Road, before heading to an off-licence shop further down the street to pick up cigarettes.
It was at this point that the group ran into the teenage victim of the shooting,
CCTV footage shown in court captured the moment they met, with an altercation taking place between the victim and one of Ali’s friends.
Ali told the court he was “trying to stop the fight” by “getting in the way” of them both.
The fight ended up moving around the corner, onto Ward Place, where the 16-year-old was shot.
Ali said: “I remember pulling the gun out to scare [the victim].”
CCTV captured Ali and others running away after the shooting as the victim fell to the ground.
Ali said he was “in shock” and “wasn’t thinking clearly”.
His girlfriend at the Sharna Osborne, 24, also stood trial.
Osborne, of Duthie Terrace, Aberdeen, was charged with assisting an offender.
It was claimed she helped Ali avoid justice following the shooting and has also been found guilty.
Ali and Osborne were arrested in Aberdeen within a week of the shooting.
Jurors heard that searches for news in Sheffield were made on a phone attributed to Osborne in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Prosecuting barrister Katherine Goddard KC explained how phone analysis showed that within an hour of the shooting, Osborne’s phone was found searching for “a number of sources for live news in Sheffield”.
Osborne’s phone was also used to access comments on The Star’s Facebook page and news stories related to the investigation following the shooting.
While thanking the jurors for their service, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: “If ever there was a case that demonstrated the dangers of individuals having guns and why we are so fortunate to live in the country we do where guns are not ordinarily available to people, this is it.”
The pair are set to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court in November.
“This is a very difficult case for a whole range of reason,” Judge Richardson said to Ali before he was sent to the cells.
“But the point I must make to you is this - you must prepare yourself inevitably for a long sentence. It’s as simple as that.”