A mother whose six-year-old son was shot in the head with a pellet gun says it could have been fatal.
Harry Clayton was shot by thugs on Wednesday afternoon while playing football with friends on Richmond Park Avenue, east of Sheffield.
The boy, dripping with blood, ran home to his mother Charlotte, 36, and told her that “something had fallen from the sky”.
Nurse Charlotte rushed Harry to Sheffield Children's Hospital, where doctors taped the wound shut and sent him home.
But unknown to doctors and other residents of the Handsworth area of Sheffield, Harry was the first of six victims of the airgun attacks. Another boy was in hospital with a serious wound to his neck.
South Yorkshire Police have arrested five teenagers suspected of being the bedroom window shooters.
Harry Clayton, aged six (pictured) was shot on Wednesday afternoon while playing football with friends on Richmond Park Avenue, east Sheffield
Harry Clayton with his mother Charlotte, 36, who said her son could have been killed in the shooting
The wound on Harry's head is visible after he fell victim to the teenage criminals
Shocked mother-of-three Charlotte said: 'That group of kids had been shooting dogs on Tuesday. One of my neighbours called the police but they never turned up.
'They were there again on Wednesday. Harry was playing football with his friends at a community centre when he was shot in the left side of his head.
He didn't do it [know] what had happened. He came running back home.
'Harry was the first to be shot, around 11:30. The others were shot around 14:30. So we had no idea at that early stage what was going on.
'I was in the shower and my oldest shouted at me, 'Harry's cut his head open.' I quickly washed out my shampoo to take care of him.
“We didn't know what it was at the time. Harry just said 'something fell from the sky'. He's only six, so I just asked him what he was talking about.
'I spoke to his friend and he said the same thing. I thought someone had kicked a rock because the bleeding entrance wound was circular.
'I took him to the children's hospital and told them I didn't know what had happened.
An x-ray showed the bullet lodged between Harry's scalp and skull
Charlotte said: 'Luckily the pellet wasn't too deep so they were able to get it out by making a small cut'
The bullet has been removed and is now part of the police evidence
Doctors closed the wound and sent Harry home, not realizing the metal ball was still lodged under his scalp.
But as more people became victims of the teenage snipers, police contacted the hospital to alert medical staff.
Hospital staff then contacted Charlotte and asked her to return with Harry. An x-ray showed the bullet lodged between Harry's scalp and skull, about an inch from the entry wound.
The bullet was removed and is now part of the police evidence.
Charlotte said: 'Luckily the pellet wasn't too deep so they were able to get it out by making a small cut.
'When he first went in, they clearly didn't know it was an air rifle.
'Harry didn't cry or anything, but it could have been very serious. He could have gone blind or even been killed.
Charlotte said another boy is in hospital after another bullet fired by the boys hit him in the neck, near his jugular vein.
“He had to have surgery because of the injury,” Charlotte said.
Police have arrested five people, including four underage teenagers, in Sheffield after six people were injured by an air rifle.
The incident, on Richmond Park Avenue, east Sheffield, happened at 2.23pm on Wednesday
South Yorkshire Police, who are investigating the incident, have appealed for information from the public about the shooting.
“If the shooters hadn't been at such a distance, they could have killed someone. At closer range, a shot could have been deadly.”
South Yorkshire Police said: 'We are appealing for witnesses after six people, including five children, were injured when unknown persons allegedly fired shots from an air rifle on Richmond Park Avenue, Sheffield.
'Yesterday (Wednesday, August 14), at 2:23 p.m., we responded to reports of a shooting in which six people were injured.
'Four boys, ages six, eleven, thirteen and fifteen, a seven-year-old girl and a 62-year-old woman were injured in the reported shooting. Three of the children required surgery in hospital to remove a pellet from their bodies.
'Officers arrived at the scene and arrested five people – a 15-year-old girl, two boys aged 15 and 16, and two 18-year-old men – on suspicion of weapons possession and aggravated assault. They have been released on bail pending further enquiries.
A crime scene has been established at an address on Richmond Park Avenue and officers are investigating.
'We are now appealing for anyone who witnessed the alleged shooting, or has information that could assist the investigation, to contact us.'
You can provide information to the police via the internet or by calling 101. When contacting us, please quote incident number 488 of 14 August 2024.
If you would rather not give any personal details, you can also remain anonymous and pass on your knowledge by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers. Call their UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111 or complete a simple and secure anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.