'Thank you for staying and caring for our son in his dying moments' reads family poster to Northampton gunshot victim

A poster placed at the site of a shooting in Upton has thanked the good Samaritans who stayed with the victim in his dying moments.
Tributes have been paid to Joshua Bains, who was fatally shot in Upton on October 4.Tributes have been paid to Joshua Bains, who was fatally shot in Upton on October 4.
Tributes have been paid to Joshua Bains, who was fatally shot in Upton on October 4.

Joshua Bains, 28, was found lying in a pool of blood in Webb Street, Upton, at about 9pm on October 4. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest has given the provisional cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest - though his killers are still at large.

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Floral tributes, candles and messages to Joshua have now appeared in Webb Street next to a poster made by the Bains family.

Joshua Bains.Joshua Bains.
Joshua Bains.

It pays gratitude to the people who stayed with Joshua in the minutes after he was shot.

"Thank you to the persons who helped Joshua Bains on Thursday evening," the poster reads.

"Thank you for staying and caring for our son in his dying moments.

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"You didn't have to but you did. You are good, good people."

A message left at the scene of Joshua Bains' shooting thanks the mystery helpers who stayed with the victim in his dying moments.A message left at the scene of Joshua Bains' shooting thanks the mystery helpers who stayed with the victim in his dying moments.
A message left at the scene of Joshua Bains' shooting thanks the mystery helpers who stayed with the victim in his dying moments.

The tributes come after a candlelit vigil was held in memory of Joshua at the Elgar Centre - next to the site of the shooting - last Thursday, attended by around 30 people

Nick Alex, of the Upton Meadows Residents' Association, said residents were coming to terms with the tragic event, though police patrols still remain on a high level in the area.

"I think things are settling now," he said. "If you go back two weeks ago the community was in complete shock.

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"This was on our doorstep and no one knew why it was going on.

"But there was a vigil held last Thursday, which was good to get the community back together."

Both borough councillors representing the Upton area say fears have been allayed by the belief the killers are not thought to be from Upton area and carried out a "targeted attack".

Councillor Brian Sergeant said: "The community is very sad that a young man has lost his life.

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"I think it's a problem that's come in from outside the county. However, we've had worries about crime going under the radar in Upton.

"Upton is a lovely estate. I think people do feel safe. Crime does happen and I think Upton is the same as anywhere else. It's just there's now been a big crime."

Councillor Alan Bottwood added: "I think we'd all like to see a result of course. But unfortunately, it's quite a complicated case.

"We've been told that none of the people involved came from Upton.

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"There's been lots of speculation that it could be a gang-related thing."

So far only Lewis Carmody, 22, from Northampton, has been charged in relation to the killing. He appeared before magistrates yesterday (Tuesday) and was remanded in custody after denying a charge of assisting an offender.

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