Father shot dead in his bed as son, 3, sleeps beside him

Officers revealed yesterday that Lee Gray, 32, was involved in the collision at Newmillerdam, near Wakefield, at around 9pm on Friday, just a few hours before police were called to the shooting.

Detectives in South Yorkshire have launched a murder inquiry after Mr Gray was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the bedroom of his home in Greenwood Avenue, Worsbrough, Barnsley, last Saturday morning.

Neighbours yesterday said Mr Gray’s three-year-old son, and a woman who is thought to be the child’s mother, were left covered in blood after the incident.

The youngster and the woman were left unharmed and the killers escaped after the shooting, which is understood to have happened at around 4am.

The little boy was later seen by neighbours being comforted by the woman in the garden of the semi-detached home.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “Apparently the little boy was in bed with his mum and dad when it happened, which must have been terrible for them and they could have been shot.

“This has really shocked the area.”

Another neighbour, Adam Wilkinson, 28, said: “I heard a car wheel spinning around the same time as the man was shot. We didn’t see or hear anything other than the noise at about 4am.

“We didn’t think anything of it at the time but when we got up the next morning there was an ambulance and five police cars outside the house.

“My partner then saw the woman who lives there come out covered in blood and she had the little boy with her.

“They were a young couple and had only moved into the house about six months ago.

“It’s difficult to believe that this has happened – that gun crime has reached our street.”

Marie Caves, 31, who also lives nearby, said: “We know from what the police said, that he was shot in the head but the other story everyone is talking about is that the man was in a car crash hours before he was killed.

“The police have assured us and other people in the street that it isn’t someone going around shooting at random and that our kids are safe. But it is worrying something like this can happen on a normal street.”

Two men have been arrested in connection with the shooting. Police have also searched a house in Athersley two miles from the murder scene.

Last night a police spokesman said: “This is a serious incident and will be dealt with accordingly.

“The investigation into the death of Lee William Gray has established that he was involved in a road traffic collision at Newmillerdam, Wakefield, during the evening of Friday, March, 4

“We have not yet established whether the collision has any connection to the death of Lee Gray.

“West Yorkshire Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash and South Yorkshire Police detectives are liaising with them.”

A man aged 27 was arrested on suspicion of murder in the Broadway area of Barnsley on Tuesday. A man in his early 30s is also in custody.

Anyone with information is urged to contact South Yorkshire Police on 01709 443508 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.