Man jailed after firing lethal submachine gun on public street before fleeing in Rolls Royce

A gunman who opened fire on the street with a submachine gun before fleeing in a Rolls Royce has been jailed for more than 15 years.

Mohammad Khan fired the lethal Skorpion gun in the direction of a man standing in a doorway, damaging a house and parked car on Melrose Place, Smethwick.

Khan, 29, was among a group of people who arrived at Melrose Place at 4am on 6 September 2023 following a dispute. Khan was handed the Skorpion gun – Eastern European weapons which can fire up to 800 rounds-per-minute – by an associate.

No one was injured in the shooting and the mob fled off in a hired Rolls Royce, before West Midlands Police tracked down the vehicle and were able to identify Khan following forensic investigations.

Khan was arrested soon after and charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. After facing a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Khan was sentenced this week to 15 years and six months in prison.

Skorpion guns are machine pistols which were first designed in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s. They were later believed to have been used by members of Irish republican groups.

West Midlands Police said: “We’re continuing our work to take all guns off the streets and jail those who are prepared to use, supply or handle them. Over the last 12 months we’ve helped put many offenders behind bars and there is no hiding place, we’ll continue to do this.

“The success is part of Operation Target, which sees us take a defiant stand against a range of serious and organised crime offences.

“Officers use local intelligence, seize goods, carry out warrants and target offenders as part the ongoing crackdown.”