Residents in a “sleepy” village have been left “bewildered” after hearing gunshots during a reported shooting.
Herts Police are appealing for information after reports of a “serious incident” in Railway Terrace, Kings Langley, at 12.33am today (September 17).
The force remain at the scene - where there is also a forensics tent - and there are road closures in the Harthall Lane and Lower Road/Railway Terrace/Primrose Hill areas.
One 26-year-old whose car is stuck within the cordon said he was “woken up by gunshots” at 12.30am, before hearing a car “screeching off” and seeing a man in the middle of the road.
Many say they “can’t believe this happened here”, with one 80-year-old who heard loud noises in the night saying it was scary to be told what had occurred near her home in the morning.
“I heard the shooting, but I didn’t know it was a shooting,” she added. “I thought it was a car backfiring ‘bang, bang, bang, bang’. I heard people shouting, ‘get out of the road’.”
Harthall Lane resident Linda Toms, 71, said she was “completely shocked, bewildered”, adding that locals didn’t know anything about what was going on while emergency services worked through the night.
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Samir, 24, who lives within the cordoned off area, said he was kept up all night by the police response, while Nick, 53, could not believe that such a serious attack could happen in Kings Langley, adding “nothing happens here”.
Jules Ledbridge said he thought his co-worker was joking when he said the “sleepy” road was blocked due to a shooting. After coming in he was told that the colleague had heard shots, which were again initially taken for a car exhaust.
Police are expected to share more information through the day. Follow our blog for the latest updates as they happen.
Just before 10am today, a Herts Police spokesperson said: “If anyone believes they may have witnessed anything suspicious, have dash cam footage or information about the incident, they are asked to contact police as soon as possible.”
Information can be reported online at herts.police.uk/report, or by calling 101.
Got more information? Email fintan.mcguinness@newsquest.co.uk
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