Appeal for calm after man shot dead

Dimitri Foskin was shot in the chest in a driveway outside a house in Newtown, Birmingham, at 10.15pm on Saturday. He died in hospital.

Chief superintendent Mick Treble appealed for calm between rival gangs. He said: "I would like to appeal for calm in the sense that a life has been wasted and if there is tension within the community then people need to talk to the police."

He continued: "We are aware of gang rivalries. When there is a shooting in Birmingham tensions between gangs do arise and as part of keeping an open mind, if this does end up being part of a gang dispute, then we would appeal for calm."

Mr Foskin was unemployed and lived with his mother close to where he was shot in Hockley Close.

Police said he had been socialising with friends and cousins shortly before he was shot once in the chest. It is thought he had visited a number of houses in and around Hockley Close in a group of three, police said. But shortly before he was shot, he left one of the properties alone.

Mr Treble said they did not yet have a motive for the attack. Nobody has been arrested but police want to speak to anyone who saw or spoke to Mr Foskin on Saturday night.

Mr Treble said: "We are very much alive to the intelligence that comes from the community itself and we have put extra resources on the ground. We have put on high visibility patrols and that does include armed patrols.

"This type of crime does remain rare in terms of gun crime in Birmingham. One murder is one murder too many and we will pull out all the stops to bring this case to a satisfactory conclusion."

He added: "Our thoughts have to be with his family. He was a son, a brother and dear friend. We are keeping an open mind. The investigation is at an early stage. We are aware there is tension between rival gangs. I am not saying Mr Foskin was in gangs at all. We have to enable young people to come together and resolve their differences."