A ‘thoroughly decent man’ shot dead through a window in broad daylight in home was killed in a case mistaken identity, his friends have claimed.
Barry Dawson’s dying scream could be heard on a neighbour’s home camera, which captured the moment the 60-year-old was shot.
Moving erratically along Elm Street in in the South Moor area of Stanley, County Durham, on Saturday, a pair approached the window of a terraced house that opens right onto the train.
One smashed the window while the other pulled out a gun and fired inside, killing the crisp factory worker.
Mr Dawson’s son could be heard shouting ‘they shot my dad’ while the attackers ran away.
The ‘senseless’ killing struck a devastating blow the Mr Dawson’s large family, according to a friend who spoke to MailOnline.
Wishing to stay anonymous, they said: ‘It is impossible to comprehend that Barry has lost his life like this, whatever was behind it I’m certain he was not the intended target.
‘The Barry I knew would never have done anything to have brought this kind of things to his door, he was a thoroughly decent man and he wasn’t the sort of person to be involved in anything criminal.
‘Whoever did this was after someone else. It looks as though they fired at the window at whoever they could see and that was Barry.
‘He was a popular man in the community, everybody knew him and he has a large family who are completely devastated by this.
‘Barry had quite a few kids over the years and he loved them all, I can’t imagine what his family is going through right now.
‘To have a shooting like this happen in a small town like Stanley is unbelievable, but for Barry to be the one who ended up dead is cruel.’
Another friend claimed the attackers ‘shot him dead without having a clue who they were shooting’.
‘They’ve killed a good bloke who never did a thing to deserve it’, they said. ‘The thought of it has left me sick to my stomach, especially after seeing the video of what happened.’
A 37-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: ‘Our officers are carrying out extensive enquiries and I am grateful for the support and co-operation we have received from the community so far.
‘I would urge anyone who has yet to get in touch with us to do so. Please don’t assume we already know. All relevant lines of enquiry will be explored.
‘Our thoughts remain with the man’s family at this time.’
In a statement, police said: ‘Officers are still appealing for witnesses to come forward and are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a white Seat Arona in the area around the time of the incident.
‘The vehicle has since been found abandoned nearby in the Oxhill area and has been examined by crime scene investigators.’
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