A six-year-old boy was injured when a group of men opened fire on a house in Wolverhampton with a shotgun in broad daylight.
He sustained injuries to his back and his hand although they were not thought to be life threatening, West Midlands Police said. He is thought to have been inside the house when the shots were fired on Friday afternoon.
"This was a shocking incident where someone has opened fire with a shotgun in the middle of the day," said detective inspector Rod Rose. "A child has been injured and we need to establish exactly what has happened."
Calling the incident "hugely reckless", he added that the motive was unclear.
"We need to identify those responsible as soon as possible," he said. "We have extra officers, including armed officers, in the area as we've increased patrols to support and reassure the community during this concerning time.
"We're doing all we can to find the offenders and as part of our investigation, CCTV is being examined and witnesses are being spoken to. If anyone was in the area at the time and saw what happened I would urge them to get in touch."
The shooting comes less than 48-hours after a man was gunned down in the street in nearby Birmingham.
The 28-year-old died at the scene.
Superintendent Sarah Burton, from Birmingham East police said there was "shock and concern" about that shooting.
“No-one expects this kind of incident to happen in their community," she said. "Officers are working closely with colleagues from Force CID to conduct a thorough investigation."
