Aaron Joel Watson

Aaron Joel Watson was shot at the Creation nightclub on Cookridge Street in Leeds on 1 May 2006.

He had been shot in the stomach on the dance floor after a scuffle with a group of men at 1.45am. He was shot in the area of the club known as Act 3. It was thought that he had earlier bumped into someone and that he had walked off but gone back with his uncle and that they had then got into a row with a group of Afro-Caribbean men during which he was shot at close range. When he was shot he had been standing just behind the DJ box in the area.

When he was shot the men that he had been arguing with disappeared into the crowd. People that had heard the shot had thought that the shot was part of the pyrotechnics and carried on dancing.

The club, which no longer exists, was holding a garage music night and Aaron Watson had gone with his uncle, arriving at about 11.45pm. There had been about 2000 people there from all over the country. They had had a couple of drinks and then gone onto the dance floor.

Before he died he told his girlfriend what had happened. He said that he had gone to the Act 3 dance floor to socialise and see who was there and that whilst there he had bumped into or stepped on a guy. Aaron Watson said that he had raised his hand up in a gesture of apology and walked off but that as he was doing so the man had said something and looked angry. He then went to the bar and then walked back to the Act 3 area where there was a confrontation between him and the man and they pushed each other. He had said then that a third unknown person had shot him.

A witness said 'I no sooner saw what was going on when I heard what I thought was a gun shot. I saw Aaron sitting on the floor and he was shuffling to put his back against a wall. He said ‘I was shot, some guys have shot me''.

The event was held on 30 April 2006 but carried over into the morning of 1 May 2006.

After being shot Aaron Watson was taken to the Leeds General Infirmary where he was treated for the next eight days but died on 9 May 2006. After first arriving he had received surgery and then appeared to recover but later deteriorated.

Ammunition shells found in the club were linked to other gun crimes around Moss Side in Manchester. They were said to have been a rare Russian brand.

His post mortem stated that the bullet had penetrated his stomach, hitting several organs and damaging a vein, causing heavy bleeding.