POLICE in Manchester are appealing for witnesses after a shooting at Traveller site in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police officers were called to the scene shortly after 12.30am on Tuesday, August 16 after receiving reports of gunshots on the site on Amersham Street, Salford.
Police were informed that two men on bicycles used abusive language, shouting at a man who is a member of the Travelling community.
Gunshots were then fired at the man's van, which was next to a caravan with young children inside.
GMP have said they are now treating the incident as a hate crime and wish to speak to anyone who has any information on the incident.
Detective Inspector Kenny Blain from the Salford Borough said they were lucky not to be dealing with "a very different, more tragic situation."
"Next to the van was a caravan with the victim and his four children inside," DI Blain said, "it doesn't bare thinking about if one of the bullets had ricocheted in the wrong direction."
Inspector Blain said that GMP are doing all they can to find the men behind the attack.
"Guns are not welcome on our streets and we are doing all we can to find these men so they can't put anyone else in danger."
There had been earlier reports on Monday afternoon (August 15) of two men on bicycles, believed to be the same men, shouting and being verbally abusive at the same site.
Police have asked anyone who may have witnessed either event on Monday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm or early Tuesday morning at 12.30am to contact police on 101 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
