Man wanted over gun attack named

A man wanted in connection with a double shooting that left one man dead and a woman critically injured has been named by police.

Northumbria Police said they were searching for Raoul Thomas Moat, who was released from prison on Friday after serving a sentence for assault, in connection with the incident.

A man was pronounced dead at the scene in Birtley, Gateshead, having suffered injuries consistent with a gunshot wound, police said. A woman was injured in the attack and is currently in a critical condition in hospital.

A spokeswoman for the force said the attack was not random and the people involved were “all known to each other” but she would not confirm reports that the suspect was the former boyfriend of the injured woman and the dead man her present boyfriend.

The exact cause of death of the man, who has not been named, has yet to be established but police said both he and the injured woman suffered injuries “believed to be consistent with a gunshot wound”.

Detective Superintendent Steve Howes said: “I would like to stress that this is not a random attack and that the people involved are all known to each other.

“We are trying to trace someone in connection with the incident and have a large number of officers working on the case, including specialist firearms officers.”

Mary Hall, 63, a neighbour living close to the scene, said she saw the gunman fire at the young woman through the living room window of her home.

Mrs Hall said she could also see a woman in the house screaming, apparently on the phone to the police, and thought it was the mother of the woman who was shot.

Another local resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “I didn’t see it happen but I heard a few loud bangs that must have been gun shots. It’s a really quiet area, it’s residential you know, so it’s a total shock.”

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