12th person arrested for shop shooting

A 12th person has been arrested by detectives investigating the "horrific" killing of a shop worker, police said today.

Nasar Hussain, 30, was shot six times in the chest and stomach as he worked at the Brookhouse Wines supermarket in Salford, Greater Manchester on Saturday night.

The latest suspect arrested yesterday on suspicion of assisting an offender remains in custody for questioning, along with three other men still being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Eight others, six men and two women, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder have been bailed until August.

Mr Hussain, a Pakistani national known locally as Nasar Shazad, had lived in Salford for about six months before he was killed.

A lone gunman walked into the store and opened fire before escaping in a car.

Mr Hussain was treated at the scene by police and paramedics before being taken to hospital but doctors could not save his life.

The gunmen fled in a blue Mazda car, registration number M239 NUK, which was later found burned out on Laburnum Avenue, Wigan.

The motive remains a mystery - as no attempt was made to rob the store.

Shortly before the shooting the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) a national agency targeting gangsters, had tipped off local police they had intelligence about a raid at the shop.

Police have said Mr Hussain was simply an "innocent bystander" in the wrong place at the wrong time and was not targeted directly.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) dismissed as "pure speculation" reports locally claiming the shop worker was killed by a hitman during a botched assassination meant to target a police informant.

Greater Manchester Police and Soca have made a joint referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The referral is to allow independent examination of information sharing between Soca and GMP prior to the fatal shooting.

Detective Superintendent Rebekah Sutcliffe, from GMP's major incident team, said: "This man was just going about his daily work when he was gunned down.

"I'm keen to speak to anyone who may have any information about the people responsible for this attack, particularly anyone who saw the blue Mazda driving away from the shop before it was dumped in Wigan.

"We can treat any information we receive in strictest confidence."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5448 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.