Exclusive:One person shot on streets of South Yorkshire every two weeks
109 people were injured in shootings between 2020 and 2025
Police have shared details of the 335 shootings recorded in South Yorkshire over the past five years, with victims shot once every two weeks on average.
Data from the ONS (Office of National Statistics) showed that between 2020 and 2025, South Yorkshire Police received 335 reports of firearms discharges.
Rates have been on a decline over that time, with a high of 101 between April 2020 - March 2021, down to 30 in the same period between 2024 - 2025.
South Yorkshire Police has shared a more detailed breakdown of these numbers.
| Date | April 2020 - March 2021 | April 2021 - March 2022 | April 2022 - March 2023 | April 2023 - March 2024 | April 2024 - March 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. firearm discharges | 101 | 72 | 69 | 63 | 30 |
The force told The Star that of the 335 firearms discharges, seven were fatal shootings.
Another 102 resulted in injuries, while the rest caused no injuries or damage to properties only.
That equates to one person being shot around every 16 days, or twice a month.
Those who were fatally shot during the period covered by the figures include Lewis Williams, Abdullah Hassan, Lamar Griffiths, Kevin Pokuta, Ramey Salem and Khuram Javed.
The seventh was Christopher Lloyd, who was shot in the 1980s but only died in August 2023 - with the coroner ruling his death was directly linked to the shooting.
Ramey Salem
On November 16, 2020, Ramey Salem was shot outside his flat on Grimesthorpe Road South, Burngreave.
During the murder trial that followed, jurors were told that a ballistics expert estimated that Ramey was shot at least five times.
Three people were ultimately convicted of what Judge James Goss KC described as “planned, cold-blooded murder”.
Jabari Fanty and Aaron Yanbak were sentenced to custody for life with a minimum term of 35 years of detention each.
Ricardo Nkanyezi was sentenced to custody for life with a minimum term of 32 years.
Lewis Williams
At only 20 years old, Lewis Williams was shot in the neck in the Mexborough area of Doncaster on January 11, 2021.
At a trial in August that year, Sheffield Crown Court heard that Lewis was targeted in the drive-by attack due to his links with a gang known as the Pitsmoor Shotta Boys.
Ultimately, four people were sentenced in connection with Lewis’ death.
Taylor Meanley and Jack Parkes - aged 17 and 21 at the time - were jailed for murder, while Joe Anderton and Arlind Nika were sent to prison for manslaughter.
Khuram Javed
Sheffield solicitor Khuram Javed was gunned down and stabbed on a path near Bramall Lane on April 10, 2021. He was 31.
His killers – Samsul Mohammed and Tinashe Kampira – were sentenced to life in prison, with a combined minimum term of 58 years in October, 2022.
Jurors were told that Khuram was planning to travel to Bradford for a meal when he was informed that three people were loitering near to his car.
He went to confront them, and it was during this exchange he was ultimately killed with a modified blank firing gun.
Lamar Griffiths
Lamar was 21 years old when he was shot dead at a car wash on Burngreave Road, Burngreave, in March 2022.
To date nobody has been charged with his murder.
In 2025, South Yorkshire Police admitted the two wanted men are believed to be abroad.
Meanwhile, Abdul Hakim and Nasser Nashir both pleaded guilty to assisting an offender in connection with the death of Lamar and were jailed.
Abdullah Hassan
Four people were found guilty for a plot to lure 25-year-old Abdullah Hassan out of his flat in Gleadless Valley and shoot him dead on April 9, 2023.
Demi Dunford organised the hit over a dispute about drugs that Sheffield Crown Court heard had gone on for weeks.
Alex Taff, Andrew Horton and Osai Williams were sentenced alongside her in connection with the murder.
Meanwhile, Emma Horton was convicted of perverting the course of justice.
Kevin Pokuta
Teenage dad Kevin Pokuta was a victim of ‘mistaken identity’ when shots were fired at his car in the Page Hall area of Sheffield in December 2023.
In the years since, seven people have been convicted in connection to the crimes that led up to Kevin’s untimely death.
Gunman Jake Brown was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 36 years, in December 2024.
Ethan Hallows - who Sheffield Crown Court heard ordered the hit - was sentenced to life with a minimum of 33 years in January, 2026, after he fled the country.
Recent shootings
There have been a number of Sheffield shootings in recent months, one of which was fatal.
They are not included in the 355 firearm discharges recorded by the ONS, which run up to March last year.
Recent firearm incidents carried out on the city’s streets include a shooting on Elmham Road, Darnall, which occurred between 10.30am and 11am on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
No-one was injured in the incident.
In September 2026 alone, there were shootings on Fieldhead Road, Lowfield; Swanbourne Road, Longley and Horninglow Road, Longley.
A 17-year-old male has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in relation to the Fieldhead Road incident.
On May 25, 2026, innocent bystander Shanice Brookes lost her life aged just 30 in a shooting outside the One-Four-One bar on West Street in Sheffield city centre.
Jemele Rhone, 30, has been charged with Shanice’s murder. He is due to stand trial in January 2027, alongside his co-accused Deiryan Dyce, who is accused of assisting an offender.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday September 6, police discovered the body of Ryan Kettlewell in Ecclesall Woods.
A forensic post-mortem found that the 38-year-old had died of a gunshot wound.
Two people, a woman aged 34 and man aged 36 were arrested on September 3 on suspicion of murder. They have since been released on police bail as enquiries continue.
Further Action
While figures show a decrease in gun crime, South Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable told The Star that “there’s clearly more to do”.
Chf Const Lauren Poultney said: “My officers and staff are working around the clock to keep people safe, but criminals who are intent on possessing or using a firearm clearly pose a threat to our local communities.
“That isn’t a problem that we can solve alone - my key message today is to please, if you’ve got any concerns, any doubts about somebody that may be using, thinking about using, or storing a firearm, the please share that information with the police.
“We can take that action available to us to keep our communities safe.”