Two people have been arrested after police responded to a report of shots fired at Northgate Playing Field in Crawley at approximately 3:30 am on Sunday, July 21.
An immediate search of the area was conducted, including the use of a drone with thermal imaging capabilities. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Further searches led to the recovery of a knife in nearby North Close, and two suspects were located at an address on the same street. A cordon is now in place around Northgate Playing Field as police continue their search, and the public can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area this afternoon.
Detective Chief Inspector Pauline Lane, District Commander for Crawley and Mid Sussex, commented on the situation: “Thankfully incidents of this nature are extremely rare, however I am mindful of the concern this will have caused local residents. I’d like to reassure the public that we’re treating this as an isolated incident with no threat to the wider community, and work is ongoing as we seek to establish the exact circumstances of what happened.”
DCI Lane added, “Our officers will be carrying out house-to-house enquiries in the area, and I would urge anyone with any information about the incident to please come forward.”
An 18-year-old man from London was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife in public and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, while a 14-year-old boy from Kent was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife in public. Both suspects remain in custody at this time.
Anyone with any information about the incident, including any mobile, dash cam, or CCTV footage, is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting Operation Venice.
