A councillor has called reports of alleged shooting on Cowley Road “shocking”, with other elected representatives praising the rapid response of the emergency services.  

Yesterday evening, Cowley Road was closed off by police after an alleged ‘shooting’ at the junction with Crown Street.

The road was closed for more than an hour with a police cordon in place and multiple emergency vehicles on the scene.

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Oxford Mail: The road was closed off for more than an hourThe road was closed off for more than an hour

Thames Valley Police said a man was sitting in a vehicle and was approached by another man.

The man in the vehicle received a wound to his shoulder, possibly caused by some sort of firearm.

A man was arrested following the incident and the victim taken to hospital, however his injuries are not considered to be serious.

Councillors have reacted to news of the serious incident on the popular road, with one calling the reports “shocking”.

Green city councillor Chris Jarvis, who represents the St Mary’s ward, said: "Reports of a shooting on Cowley Road are shocking, and my thoughts are with all those who have been affected - including the victim, their friends and family, and those who were present at the time.

Oxford Mail: One man has been arrested following the incidentOne man has been arrested following the incident

"While events like these are of course disturbing, Oxford remains a safe place, and these kinds of things are incredibly rare. The emergency services were quickly on hand to handle the situation and ensure people are safe.

"A suspect is now in custody, and I would encourage anyone with relevant information to assist the police with their investigations."

Fellow Green councillor for the area, Emily Kerr, praised the emergency services for their response,  as well as this newspaper’s immediate live coverage.

She said: "I would like to thank the emergency services for their rapid and effective response to the incident last night, as well as the bus companies for their effective communication to the public about travel disruption during the period in which the road was closed, and to the Oxford Mail for their robust, responsible and timely reporting to keep Oxford's residents informed of exactly what has happened."

Oxford Mail: The incident happened at around 6.45pm on Sunday eveningThe incident happened at around 6.45pm on Sunday evening

Iffley Fields & St Mary's Labour county councillor Damian Haywood is hopeful this incident was a “one-off”.

He said: “The police are doing their upmost to ensure that the area is safe and secure and minimise this sort of thing happening again.

“We will continue to ensure that Cowley Road has that vibrant atmosphere that it does most weekends.  

“I am sure this is one-off incident and not a regularly occurrence, we have not had a shooting around Cowley Road for a long time.”

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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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