Man, 26, arrested after Jewish teenager shot in the head with air rifle
A 26-year-old man has been arrested following the shooting of a Jewish teenager with an air rifle, in what some believe to be an anti-Semitic attack.
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The man is accused of shouting obscenities at the teen as he approached a synagogue in East Cliff, Bournemouth.
The boy was then shot by someone from a car, with the air rifle pellet hitting his forehead, police say.
Authorities are treating the incident as a hate crime and have arrested a man in connection with the shooting on suspicion of assault and possession of an imitation firearm in a public place.
Det Ch Insp Nicola Jenkins, of Dorset Police, said: “We have been carrying out extensive inquiries as part of our investigation and have now made an arrest in connection with the incident.
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“Inquiries are ongoing, and I would ask anyone who has not already spoken to police and has information that may assist our investigation to please come forward.
“We understand the concern that this incident has caused to members of the community and we are continuing to liaise with them to provide updates and reassurance.
“We are also continuing to support and update the victims with the progress of the investigation.”
The incident left Bournemouth’s Jewish community “shocked”, Rabbi Alan Lewis, of the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, said.
He added: “The young man who was shot is a religious Jew who was wearing a skull cap. It was very obvious he was Jewish.
“Then several people living on Manor Road woke up to find that swastikas had been painted on their homes. The homes had a mezuzah outside, so it was obvious that Jewish people lived there.”