Four charged with New Year murders

Four men have been charged with the murders of two teenage girls who were gunned down outside a New Year party, police said today.

Four Birmingham men – aged 19, 22, 23 and 24 – were appearing before magistrates in the city later today charged with killing Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare, West Midlands Police said.

Each of the defendants has also been charged with three counts of attempted murder in connection with the fatal shooting, which happened outside a party at a hairdressing salon in Aston in the early hours of January 2 this year.