Murder investigation launched following death of Aya Hachem on Sunday
A University of Salford law student has reportedly been killed in a “senseless” drive-by shooting while out shopping with her family on Sunday.
The victim, named locally as 19-year-old Aya Hachem, is said to have been just 100 metres from her home in Blackburn, Lancashire, when she was gunned down from a car window at around 3pm yesterday.
The second year law student was the vice-president of the University of Salford’s law society, The Mirror reports, and had just passed her second year law exams.
Hachem, originally from Lebanon, was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.
Paying tribute to the law student, The Asylum and Refugee Community (ARC) wrote on Facebook that she harboured ambitions to study international law but “lost her life in a horrific senseless attack”.
Deputy superintendent Jonathan Holmes said:
“This is a truly shocking and senseless killing, which has robbed a young woman of her life. We appreciate this will have caused a lot of worry in the community, but we have deployed significant additional resources, including armed officers, to carry out high-visibility patrols in the area to provide reassurance to residents.”
Lancashire Police added that following the incident a vehicle — understood to be light-coloured, a possible metallic green Toyota Avensis — had been spotted leaving the scene. A car matching the description has since been recovered.
The police have urged anyone with information or any footage of the incident to come forward.
Dr Janice Allan, Dean of Salford Business School, told Legal Cheek:
“Aya Hachem was a very popular and promising second year student whose contribution went beyond the classroom. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult and distressing time.”
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