Horrific injuries of man shot with elephant gun on Christmas Day and left for dead by gang still on the loose (graphic photos)

A young dad has told how he was gunned down in the street and left for dead on Christmas Day by a gang of thugs still on the loose.

Daniel Stone, 26, who had spent the day with his family, was walking around the corner to wish his friend a Merry Christmas ahead of a family meal in 2016 when he was struck in a case of suspected mistaken identity.

The dad-of-one remembers a gloved hand holding a gun peaking out of a blacked-out window before he was shot at close range in the stomach. He was peppered with more than 60 shots from the custom shotgun - a weapon police said is most commonly used by elephant hunters in Africa. He was shot once in the stomach, leaving around 45 pellets lodged in his abdomen and 15 in his arm.

His grandparents heard the gunfire but thought it was a firework. Soon the sound of sirens filled the air as emergency services rushed to the scene, and one of Daniel's friends ran down to their house to tell them what had happened.

Medics battled to save Daniel's life at Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, and he received 26 units of blood to stop him from bleeding to death. He was put in a coma for more than a month, had more than 20 operations, was in hospital for 11-weeks, and left with an enormous scar. Miraculously he survived. Police are yet to find and charge the alleged attempted murderers following the incident last year though they have made arrests.

Brave Daniel, who is still undergoing treatment, is speaking out a year later in a bid to help police find the dangerous criminals.

The former carer, from Walsall, West Mids., said: "I said goodbye to my grandma and thought I'd be back in five minutes. I was just going to see a mate. The car was a little black Seat Leon, it was all blacked out. The car drove past me at first then turned round at the bottom of the street. I tried to look at who was driving it but then the window went down and I saw the barrel of a gun. I didn't see a face, just a black leather glove holding a gun. I heard a loud bang a surge of intense heat - and woke up four weeks later in hospital with machines keeping me alive. I don't know how I'm going to feel on the big day this year.

"I am looking forward to it, and I'm not at the same time, because it's going to bring back memories, and not good ones either. Since I got shot there have been more shootings. I'm speaking out because I hope they get caught because you shouldn't have people like that out on the streets. It could have been a lot worse."

Daniel, who has a one-year-old daughter, Laylah-Grace, told how his injuries affected his little girl who was only 7 months at the time of his attack.

Daniel recalled: "When I woke up I didn't know what had happened. I was bleeding to death for two days. The main artery in my spine was shot and bleeding out. My ex-girlfriend brought my daughter to visit me - I don't think she liked seeing me in hospital, full of tubes, it's scary for children.

"She just screamed. It doesn't look nice. She was only seven months old. Seeing dad with pipes in his face really upset her."

He was kept in hospital for 11 weeks, but over the next 12 months he went endured 20 more operations, and could no longer care for his disabled mother, Tracey. Daniel, who is still in recovery at home, is due to have a catheter removed next June.

The family is preparing to spend Christmas together for the first time since the shooting, but Daniel has mixed feelings about the festivities.

"I can't wait to to have Christmas dinner though - I didn't get to have it last year and I want my dinner," he said.

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Five men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but were later released without charge by West Midlands Police.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Five men aged between 18 and 33 who were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder have been released from bail without charge.