A shocking picture has emerged of a fugitive gunman wanted for attempted murder following a shooting at McDonald’s posing proudly with SHOTGUNS.
Liam Windass, 24, is wanted by police following the shooting on Saturday when a Volkswagen Golf was shot at several times in a car park.
Now a Facebook picture, taken less than a month ago, has emerged of Windass posing with shotguns with a friend.
Windass is thought to have been driving a car that crashed after a police chase last night (Wed) before he was hunted through school grounds by heavily armed officers.
The manhunt in Hull, East Yorks., heated up shortly after 3pm when officers spotted a silver Peugeot cabriolet believed to have Windass at the wheel.
The pursuit continued on foot into Sirius Academy, where children were leaving school but despite a huge search by armed police, no arrest was made.
After a police chase – during which he narrowly missed children leaving the school – the Peugeot reversed into a police car three times before losing control and crashing into barriers.
The driver then ran towards the school, as hundreds of children were leaving, and jumped over a fence.
Armed police, who have been on the trail of Windass since two men narrowly escaped the shooting on Saturday, followed to scour the school grounds, as children played football and rugby nearby.
One mother said her 14-year-old daughter was in an after-school rugby session when armed police swarmed onto the field.
“My daughter was in tears. She was crying and physically shaking,” the woman, who asked to remain anonymous for her own safety, said.
“She said they were out in the field playing rugby when a load of police officers came running out onto the field. The coach went over to them and asked what’s going on, but the police said it’s just somebody who’s nicked a car, so they should carry on playing.
“The kids carried on but they then got completely surrounded by armed police with guns and dogs. They were right next to the kids because the field was near an allotment he was meant to have jumped into.”
Armed police also stormed the school’s sports hall, where an inter-school dodgeball tournament was taking place, and shepherded the children into changing rooms.
“My daughter is still really upset,” the mother said.
“She had to leave the field completely by herself, which I’m not happy about. It is really scary what happened, when you think about it – anything could have happened.
Another woman, who did not wish to be named, said she was sitting in her car by the school when the chase took place.
“The kids had started leaving school – the Year 7s left at 3pm and the others at 3.05pm,” she said.
“They were chasing him up Boothferry Road at about 3.18pm, according to my car clock. The chase itself lasted around three or four minutes from Boothferry Road to the car crashing.
“No one got hit, but a couple of boys jumped out the way and suffered shock.”
One mother said her daughter was outside the school with friends at the time of the car chase.
“She’s very worried about going back to school,” she said.
“She was walking out of school with friends and just saw the silver car reverse into the police car and rev its engine.
“She was pretty scared. As a parent it is very worrying thinking that something like this is happening near my daughter’s school.”
Ian McAuley, who lives behind the school, said he first noticed a police presence at about 3.30pm.
“I heard the police helicopter and didn’t think owt, but ten minutes later it was still hanging about,” he said.
“I went upstairs and saw it hanging about next to my house, and one of my lads came home and said there was loads of police at Sirius.
“I saw they were all armed response. They were all concentrating around the old Sirius sports hall and they seemed to be standing in a group together with dog handlers as well.”
One man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I was on the bridge and saw police chasing a car along Boothferry Road.
“The driver stopped and rammed the police car three times before turning round and speeding off the other way, but he lost control and crashed into the barricade.
“He got out and ran towards Sirius Academy. “It was quite a dramatic thing to see.”
Police have been searching for two gunmen since Saturday, when a Volkswagen Golf was shot at several times in the car park of McDonald’s at St Andrew’s Quay.
Two men who were inside the Golf were “miraculously unharmed” after several rounds of live ammunition were fired at the vehicle at 11.30am, just metres away from diners inside the restaurant.
Police yesterday confirmed one man, a 22-year-old from west Hull, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at 1pm on Tuesday.
Officers leading the investigation also released an image of Windass, of Rosedale Grove, west Hull, saying he too is wanted on suspicion of attempted murder.
The VW Golf after being shot at McDonald’s. Inset, one man arrested at the scene was later released
Armed police raided Windass’s home earlier this week.
Yesterday, one of his relatives claimed he had been tried and convicted before he had even been spoken to by police.
She said: “He is innocent, but the police and media have already assumed he’s guilty. It’s a disgrace.”
Residents told of their disbelief that Windass lives in their street.
One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It is normally reasonably quiet here. It is a surprise that a man is on the run from round here and you read about your street and see it on television.”
Another neighbour said: “It’s terrible to hear about this. I don’t know the lad, but it is a shock to think what he might have done.
“It does make you feel a bit worried.”
Nobody from Sirius Academy was available for comment last night.
