Party girls killed in hail of bullets named by police
Extra patrols of armed police are ordered on to the streets of inner-city Birmingham
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Two teenage girls who were shot dead during a New Year party in a hairdresser's salon were today named by police.
West Midlands Police said Charlene Ellis, aged 18, and Latisha Shakespear, aged 17, both died at the scene outside Uniseven Studios in Birchfield Road, Birmingham, early yesterday.
Charlene's twin sister Sophie and Cheryl Shaw, 17, were both described as stable in hospital after they were hit by the hail of bullets.
The four teenagers had stepped outside the rear of the salon for some fresh air when they were gunned down.
Extra patrols of armed police were ordered on to the streets of inner-city Birmingham after shootings.
Senior West Midlands officers said the killings were "quite exceptional in their brutality". They believed they could be drug or gang-related and feared they could act as a catalyst for further violence.
Many rounds were fired and a red Peugeot 305, riddled with bullets, was found 50 metres away.
Police said all the victims were black and extra armed patrols would be on the streets of the Aston and Handsworth areas for at least the next week.
There have been several shootings linked to drugs or gangs in the city in the past year, some involving Yardie-style feuds. But police are also investigating other theories, including the possibility of whether the gunman was a disgruntled male acquaintance or whether there was an exchange of gunfire between the two groups.
Chief Superintendent David Shaw of West Midlands Police, the police area commander for Aston, said: "We don't know what caused the incident, and we don't know who is involved yet."
He added: "In my experience, and those of all the officers here, we have never had to deal with anything like this. We are very shaken and saddened for all the families and friends of those involved.
"In terms of the nature of the incident, it's almost unprecedented in Birmingham. They [the shootings] are exceptional in their brutality."
Local traders said the party was among several at the Uniseven Studio's hairdressers. About 30 young people had paid £9 to enter. Police had visited the party earlier in the evening because of complaints over noise.
Chief Inspector Steve Glover said the girls were among other partygoers who had stepped outside for fresh air because it was hot. He said witnesses had already come forward, but admitted that many would be reluctant, adding: "They are scared. It is a dangerous business. There are people out there who are using illegal firearms."
The salon and the rest of the 20 shops in the parade remained closed with their steel shutters down yesterday as a wide area around the scene was sealed off for police to conduct a search. A ballistics expert was examining spent rounds found at the rear of the salon.
One trader, who runs a computer and phone shop with his brother near the hairdressers, said the owner of the salon had held Christmas and New Year parties since starting the business about two years ago. He added: "We cannot believe this has happened. People will be afraid to come out at night now and go to parties."
West Midlands Police said they had driven down the number of gun-related crimes from 44 between April and October 2001 to 33 for the same period last year. Last year, officers arrested 57 people for gun-related offences and seized 92 illegal firearms.