Murder probe launched following fatal petrol station shooting - as force hunt 'gunman' and stolen car on 'cloned plates'
Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was fatally shot outside a petrol station in Wakefield.
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Police were called to reports of a shooting at around 9.43pm on Tuesday, with the suspected gunman leaving the scene in a distinctive vehicle displaying "cloned license plates".
West Yorkshire Police said officers arrived to find a man in his 50s was "seriously injured," after "a shot was fired from a vehicle on Doncaster Road", Wakefield, close to the BP petrol station.
The force said it believed the vehicle used in the offence was “on false plates and was stolen in a burglary in Castleford on August 3”.
The victim was taken to hospital where he later died from his injuries.
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Police confirmed the victim as a 50-year-old man who was living in the local area.
Footage of the incident shows the distinctive Toyota RAV4 vehicle turn around at the garage moments before the fatal shot was fired, before speeding off in the direction it had arrived from.
The force highlighted that the vehicle is thought to have been stolen in a recent burglary, with the Toyota fitted with "bull lights on the roof above the windshield”.
The man’s immediate family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
The force are now urging anyone with dash-cam footage or further information to come forward.
Police said the vehicle involved is "believed to be a blue/grey-coloured Toyota RAV4 with a grey trim, displaying cloned plates FV53FXT.
The vehicle is described as being “distinctive due to having bull lights on the roof above the windshield”.
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle, of West Yorkshire Police’s homicide and major inquiry team, said: “A man has lost his life, and it is an absolute priority for us to understand the circumstances of what has taken place and identify anyone who has had any involvement in this incident.
“We understand that the vehicle used in this offence was on false plates and was stolen in a burglary in Castleford on 3 August. The vehicle is particularly distinctive because of the bull lights fitted to the vehicle.
“We are interested in speaking to anyone who believes they have seen this RAV4 following this burglary, around the time of this offence and since. The vehicle may now be displaying different plates.
“Motorists who were in the Doncaster Road area last night who have dashcams fitted are also asked to check whether they have captured any footage of this vehicle.
“The driver was driving in the direction of Wakefield before they have turned around near the BP petrol station immediately prior to the shooting and then driven off in the direction they came from.
“We understand the shock and concern that an incident of this nature will cause, particularly given that a firearm has been involved.
“We are dedicating significant resources to this investigation and our neighbourhood policing colleagues are supporting this with an increased presence in the area to provide reassurance to the community.”
Anyone who witnessed any part of the incident or who has any information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police’s homicide and major inquiry team online or by calling 101 quoting Operation Ploughland.
Information, including footage, can be provided through the force’s major incident public portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/13XM020125W60-PO1.