POLICE have launched an investigation after shots were fired outside The Living Room bar and restaurant on Deansgate at around 9pm on Thursday 9 October.
“We are not linking it with the murder of Kieran McGrath in Tameside.”
Witnesses on Manchester city centre's main thoroughfare instantly took to social media to report that they'd seen suspects ride up to the venue on Deansgate and open fire, before escaping by motorbike.
Luckily, no one was injured.
Here's CCTV footage of the incident:
Police have confirmed that they attended the scene and discovered that the entrance to the doorway had been damaged.
They're now searching for 'two people seen driving off' after the drive-by shooting.
A bike has been found burned out on Brotherton Drive in the Trinity area of Salford and police are trying to establish if this is the motorcycle used by the gunmen.
A statement released by Greater Manchester Police has been quick to quash suspicions that the Deansgate drive-by shooting was linked to the recent murder of Kieran McGrath.
McGrath was gunned down by two men on a motorbike outside a pub in Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 4 October 2014. A 30-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Police have said the latest drive-by shooting on Deansgate is not linked to Saturday's shooting of Kieran McGrath in Ashton
Chief Inspector Gareth Parkin: “We are still in the early stages of the investigation and it would be wrong to speculate why this took place.
“What we do know is two people riding a motorbike were seen driving along Deansgate and stopping outside the club. The pillion passenger fired shots towards the entrance of the club and then sped off along Deansgate.
“We believe this was a targeted attack, however it is isolated.
“Officers are currently in the process of studying CCTV and are trying to identify who is responsible but we are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
“Deansgate is one of Manchester city centre’s main roads so there would have been a number of people walking and driving in the area at that time. If you saw a motorbike pull up outside the Living Room and drive off or saw two people setting fire to it on Brotherton Drive, I would ask you to phone police.
“Understandably people will be concerned about what has happened but we have increased police patrols to offer reassurance and we are not linking it with the murder of Kieran McGrath in Tameside.”
Deansgate was closed for around five hours last night as the police forensic team moved in to examine the scene.
Anyone with information should phone police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
