Man dies in Salford shooting

Greater Manchester Police are hunting two masked gunmen who shot a man dead in a crowded Salford street.

The pair opened fire at the victim, hitting him once in the leg, before approaching and shooting him several times in the chest from point-blank range.

After the shooting, eyewitnesses saw the gunmen calmly walk to their car and drive off.

The victim, thought to be in his early 20's, was taken to Hope Hospital but was dead by the time he arrived, police say.

They shot one round into his leg and he dropped, then they finished him off

An eyewitness

Eyewitnesses said the shooting happened after a woman ran screaming from her bungalow in the residential Blackfriars area of Salford, just after 1800 BST on Friday.

Two balaclava-wearing gunmen were then seen waving handguns in the air, firing above the heads of neighbours who had gathered in the street following the disturbance.

Most people fled, but one of the gunmen took aim at a man who remained and shot him once, wounding him in the leg.

Both armed men then approached the victim where he lay on the ground, put an automatic pistol to his chest, and emptied the clip at point blank range.

One eyewitness described the attack.

"The gunmen started firing wildly in the air with a semi-automatic and a pistol," he said.

"Everybody made themselves scarce when that happened, apart from one guy who was stood outside.

"They shot one round into his leg and he dropped, then they finished him off."

Police are conducting a fingertip search of the area of the shooting.