Police raid finds gunman hiding in Leodis flat

A fugitive was found hiding at a flat in Leodis halls of residence in the early hours of 5th October after a planned police raid.

The suspect was being sought following a firearms incident in Bradford, in which someone was seriously assaulted and a firearm was discharged.

Witnesses say that a number of police vans turned up at Leodis at 2.30am on Wednesday 5 October and following the raid three people were arrested, a man aged 34, believed to be the suspect in question, and two women aged 19 and 22.

The 34-year-old man was later charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. He appeared at Bradford Magistrates Court on 6 October and was remanded in custody.

The two women were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and were later released on bail pending further enquiries.

Four men have been charged with a number of offences relating to the incident in Bradford and have been remanded in custody. 

One Leodis resident told The Gryphon, “I was surprised to see two huge police vans outside my accommodation, when I heard it was due to a fugitive staying with a resident in another block, I was shocked as I would never expect something like that in a university accommodation.”

Chris Worsnop, a first year Chemistry student and Leodis resident, told us, “It feels kind of unsettling that this can happen and we have been given no reassurance or even an explanation as to what actually happened which is weird seeing as we have had so many police cars and vans on-site”.

West Yorkshire Police have not confirmed whether a firearm was recovered from the scene.

The University of Leeds declined to comment.

Jessica Murray