'There was blood... he was bent over': Horror as bouncer shot outside bar in town centre attack

A customer has described the moment the doorman of a local bar was shot as punters enjoyed late night drinks in Bury. Police descended on Silver Street following reports of a shooting in the town centre on Wednesday evening (October 23).

The shooting happened at around 11.45pm on Wednesday. A man, aged 39, was rushed to hospital after being shot in the wrist, where he remains in a 'stable' condition, police said. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

A cordon has been in place throughout today (October 24) while officers carried out their work. Crime scene investigation officers attended the scene and bullet holes could be seen in one of the windows of Stanley's of Bury, which is situated on the popular road.

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Speaking to the M.E.N., a witness said they heard an 'almighty bang' while he was inside Stanley's bar.

"Me and my son came out for a drink and he nipped out," said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous.

"I had just rolled myself a cigarette and was about to come out for a smoke and within a split second there was an almighty bang. At first people thought the sound system had blown, then people thought it was fireworks but I knew it wasn't fireworks. I could tell by the smell.

"That split second nobody had time to panic or scream. The doorman came in and said he had been shot, there was blood.

"He was holding his hand and he was bent over. Somebody rang the emergency services and then the ambulance, armed police and normal police came and dealt with him.

"An hour-and-a-half later we all got shipped out the backdoor. I used to be in the forces and I've been in war situations and lost friends, I never thought I'd be in that situation again.

"Especially in this day and age. Yes, knife crime is unbelievable wherever you go, but I never thought it'd be anything to do with guns.

"It's a situation where unless you're there, you don't really understand it. It happened in a second, it was, 'boom!', then the doorman came in."

Greater Manchester Police said they believe the 'senseless' attack was 'isolated'. Patrols have been stepped up in the area. A staff member of an American candy store that was open on the night also described to the Manchester Evening News the moment gunshots were heard in the area.

“It sounded like two fireworks," he said.

"Within five minutes an ambulance was here and there were like 14 police cars. It was crazy.”

Silver Street is in the heart of Bury town centre and just a few feet away from the local train station. On Thursday morning, commuters were met with sights of the big scene which brought along a sense of shock, disbelief and disappointment.

“I thought Bury was quite safe. Obviously not around midnight,” said one resident.

Another added: “We’re used to stabbings not shootings." While a local business owner setting up for the day said: “This is bonkers, who is doing this?”

An elderly lady added: "We’ve lived in Bury for 50 odd years and it used to be a nice town. Bury is getting bad, isn't it. But I guess that’s everywhere now isn’t it."

An attempted murder investigation has been launched. There is not believed to be any wider threat to the community in Bury, GMP added.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector, Andy Day, from GMP's Bury division, said: "This was a shocking attack, and an example of the type of violence that has no place in our community. A man has been seriously injured as a result of a senseless shooting and the lives of others were put in harm's way. It is vital that those responsible are brought to justice.

"While it is early in our investigation, we believe this to be an isolated attack with no wider threat to the community. We have a man in custody and numerous evidential opportunities are being followed.

"There will be an increase in officers around the area in the coming days as we continue to investigate and provide a reassuring presence to the community. If you have any concerns, please do stop and speak with them. We are urging anyone with information that will help our investigation to come forward,

"If you were in the area on Wednesday evening and saw or heard anything suspicious, or have CCTV or dashcam footage that could help us with our enquiries, we ask you to contact 101 quoting log 3717 of 23/10/2024. Any information, no matter how small, could help us find those who are responsible."

The M.E.N has approached Stanley's for a comment.