Kye Lemathy was jailed after the Aston shooting, where the victim used a passer-by as a shield to dodge bullets

Terrifying footage has emerged from Birmingham showing the moment a gunman opened fire on a busy street as a desperate victim grabbed a passer-by to use as a human shield.

The shocking scenes unfolded in Aston on the evening of 12 October last year. Kye Lemathy, 21, pulled out a firearm during a street brawl near takeaways at the junction of Witton Road and Endicott Road. As shots rang out, innocent bystanders scrambled in fear.

Captured on chilling CCTV footage, yellow flashes lit up the street as Lemathy fired recklessly, sending pedestrians fleeing for their lives. But it was the victim’s desperate act of survival that stunned investigators — grabbing an unsuspecting passer-by and holding him between himself and the gunman to avoid being shot.

Panic gripped the street within seconds. Abandoned bicycles littered the pavement as terrified witnesses bolted. Armed police arrived swiftly after receiving reports just after 7.45pm, but by the time officers reached the scene, Lemathy and his rivals had vanished.

The West Midlands Police Major Crime Unit quickly launched an investigation. As they pieced together the events of that chaotic night, a new twist emerged: Lemathy himself had been injured in the violent encounter. He had turned up at hospital for treatment after sustaining stab wounds during the altercation.

It was there that detectives arrested him, charging the Perry Barr resident with possession of a firearm with intent.

Lemathy later pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court. This week, he was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison. The conviction marks another success for police as they battle to stem the growing tide of gun crime and gang violence spreading across the Midlands.

“This was an appalling incident which could have resulted in multiple innocent people being seriously injured or killed,” a police spokesperson said after sentencing. “The public were put in grave danger, and it’s fortunate nobody lost their life.”

The community remains shaken. Residents have expressed growing concerns over the escalation of violence on city streets, with many questioning how easily firearms continue to circulate among young criminals.

“It’s terrifying,” one local resident said. “That could have been anyone walking home from the shops. You just don’t expect to see people being shot at like that in broad daylight.”

Birmingham has seen a string of violent incidents in recent months, adding to growing fears of a worsening gun crime epidemic. Police have repeatedly vowed to take robust action, but community leaders say more must be done to tackle the root causes fuelling the violence.

As Lemathy begins his lengthy prison sentence, the case stands as a chilling reminder of how quickly street disputes can spiral into potentially deadly confrontations. For those caught in the crossfire, survival often comes down to sheer luck or desperate split-second decisions.

The authorities now face the ongoing challenge of stemming the flow of firearms and breaking the cycle of violence before more lives are shattered.