Washington shooting: Man charged with attempted murder after victim left in a 'critical' condition

John Dees, of no fixed address, has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life following an incident in Washington which saw a man, 28, suffer “life-threatening” injuries.

It happened at 2pm on Thursday, October 10 when emergency services were called to the Blue House Lane area to reports that a man had suffered injuries due to a gunshot.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, and remains in hospital.

The firearm believed to have been used in the attack has been recovered by police, and Dees, 33, has been remanded in custody until his appearance at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Two other men and a woman were arrested in connection with the shooting on Thursday and Friday, October 11.

The woman who was arrested has been released on police bail while the two other arrested men have been released without charge.

Chief Inspector Sam Rennison, of Northumbria Police, has thanked the community for their cooperation and support over the last 48 hours, and said: “Any incident of this type is likely to shock the local community, but I would like to thank the community of Washington for the way they have come together and supported officers at every step of this investigation.

“Firearms incidents are very rare in this area and I would like to reiterate we believe this was an isolated incident with all parties involved thought to be known to each other.

“A man has now been charged with attempted murder and I would ask members of the public to respect the active legal proceedings and refrain from speculating on social media, as this could potentially prejudice the case.”

A police cordon remained at the scene of the shooting for almost 24 hours after the incident, with forensics officers attending the scene.

The force is appealing for witnesses to the incident, or any motorists who may have dashcam footage recorded in the area, to come forward.

Call 101 quoting log 569 10/10/19 with any information, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111