TLDR: Police arrest and later bail a 29-year-old man after a double shooting on Evington Road on Wednesday, 22 November. The police are still investigating the incident. The victims remain in hospital.
Late on Wednesday, 22 November, two men were shot as they walked along Evington Road near the junction with Chepstow Road.
Police responded after receiving a call at 11.21pm and set up a cordon, closing the Kingston Road/Kedleston Road and Lyme Road/Linton Street junctions.
The two men currently remain in hospital, receiving treatment. One remains in a severe condition. The other man sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Footage of armed officers and forensics teams at the scene was shared online, and a bullet hole was spotted in the window glass of the La Mama takeaway.
The police are attempting to contact a group of witnesses who were standing on the corner of Evington Road and Chepstow Road at the time the shots were fired. They ran from the scene into a store nearby.
They also want to speak with a driver of a passing white saloon car, thought to be an Audi. The car passed another vehicle travelling through the scene at 11:19pm when the shots were fired.
One local man told reporters he was in the area at the time of the incident. He said he heard gunshots and then saw two men with wounds.
Police arrested a 29-year-old man from Leicester on suspicion of attempted murder in the Birmingham area on Friday, 24 November. He was transferred to Leicestershire for questioning and later bailed pending further enquiries.
The nature of the incident has yet to be revealed by police. Businesses were closed, and police prevented residents from entering the usually busy street as detectives and forensics combed over it.
The police have stepped up patrols in the area to reassure the community.
Jonathan Ashworth, the MP for Leicester South since 2011, has been in regular contact with the police since Wednesday night.
Witnesses can contact Leicestershire Police via 101 or the police's website, quoting incident number 23*723469. Alternatively, you can pass on information anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
A cold and potentially wintery week ahead as high pressure to the north helps to spread a cold European airmass westwards into the UK. As it meets milder Atlantic air later, some snow is likely, so keep your eye on daily forecasts.
🌧️ Monday, 27 November: Plenty of clouds with some rain in the morning, which will gradually ease during the afternoon. A moderate north-west breeze. Frost at night. Max: 5C | Min: 3C.
☀️ Tuesday, 28 November: Much brighter with high pressure and plenty of sunshine. Expect frost. Max: 5C | Min: -2C.
🍃 Wednesday, 29 November: A cold day with a raw easterly breeze. A few sunny intervals but more frost at night. Max: 3C | Min: 0C.
🌨️ Thursday, 30 November: A rather cloudy day with some rain, sleet and snow possible. A raw easterly breeze gusting to 20mph at times. Max: 3C | Min: -1C.
☁️ Friday, 1 December: Plenty of clouds with the raw easterly wind still in place. A few wintery showers are possible. Max: 3C | Min: -2C.
🌧️ Saturday, 2 December: Looks cold again with a few wintery showers and night frosts. Max: 3C | Min: 1C.
🌧️ ❄️ Fortnightly outlook: The cold weather looks set to continue for a few more days from 4 December with further sunshine and a few wintery showers. Some signs it will start to get milder by Friday, 8 December, but this is not yet certain. Make sure your car is winter-ready over the next fortnight, and be prepared for some snowfall!
Leicester Market. The £7.5m revamp is set in motion, with traders moved ahead of the January start date. Read more
Hop! bus service. The free, green bus travelling around the city centre has topped 1,500 passengers daily. The council wants to hear residents' thoughts about the ride. Read more
Housing crisis. The Guardian speaks to former primary school teacher Hannah Piper, 33, who experienced first-hand how difficult it can be to find housing in Leicester. Read more
Wilko compensation. Over £42 million has been paid out in redundancies at the failed Leicester-founded retailer. Read more
Leicester Cathedral. After almost two years and extensive renovations, Leicester Cathedral reopened its doors to worshippers yesterday. Read more
Swan rescued. The RSPCA and fire service have saved a Leicester swan after it became trapped in the Freemens Meadow Lock. Read more
Knitting Banxy. The infamous knitter has hit Syston again, with creations inspired by the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special. Read more
Ruth Miller. A touching tribute by Gazette writer Nancy Dawkins. Read more
Midlands-based creatives will be selling goods from their small business at LCB Depot. Enjoy an afternoon of music, local food, and shopping! LCB Depot encourages donations to the local food bank instead of an entry fee. Open from 1-5pm.
Calling all vinyl collectors, this one will be like music to your ears! Pop down to Leicester Market to peruse the wares of over 25 traders selling records, CDs, DVDs, and various music memorabilia. Open from 9am-2:30pm.
Get your archaeological discoveries identified and recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme at Newarke Houses. You can drop in for free between 10am-4pm.
Fancy a festive treat? An immersive outdoor light trail has landed in Abbey Park. Head down for a magical experience! Tickets start from £9. Infants go free.
The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery from the University of Leedspresents a diverse exhibition at Attenborough Arts Centre. Featuring the artwork of over 30 artists, this display invites us to consider our access to nature in the 21st century.
A charming three-bedroom, two-bathroom semi-detached house in Rowley Fields offers abundant space and potential. It could do with modernising and some TLC, but it could make a great family home.
Football. On Saturday, Jamie Vardy scored late, securing them the win against Watford and staying on top of the Championship. Read more
Rugby. The Oadby Wyggestonian Rugby Club's women's team thrives almost two years after setting up. Read more
Cricket. Funding boost for one of the oldest cricket clubs in the county. Read more
Letters
David is away this week, so we have swapped out food and drink for Letters to the Editors. Letters are a great way to engage with a topic you are passionate about – and let fellow readers know about it. We would love to hear from you and make this a regular newsletter section. Write to news@greatcentralgazette.org with 'Letter:' in the subject line. Please include your name in the email.
It's time to register every voter
Dear Editors,
The right to vote is the most powerful tool we have to hold our politicians to account. Yet in areas like ours, it's likely that over 12,000 eligible citizens will not be registered to vote. Nationally the number is around 8 million. These voters are more likely to be young, on low incomes, or be part of an ethnic minority group. All people who often feel let down by our politics. It's time to register every voter.
Citizens should be automatically registered to vote when they apply for things like a driver's licence or benefits. It's a scheme used in dozens of countries called Automatic Voter Registration. It's both secure and will save money. It gets more people registered to vote which is good for our democracy. I hope our local MPs will support the calls for Automatic Voter Registration made by Unlock Democracy and other campaign groups.
Spotted on Facebook: The Public Benefit Boot Company, founded by five Lennard brothers from Leicester, and the Clock Tower in the background – do you know when this was dated?
This newsletter was amended on 1 December 2023. Jamie Vardy scored late in the win against Watford, not early as initially stated.
Rhys is a seasoned journalist, writer, and community organiser. As community lead, he works across fundraising, community engagement, daily operations and some editorial work too.
Nancy Dawkins
