Gun Crime Crackdown: Two Men Locked Up After Maltby Shooting Frenzy
Two men have been slammed behind bars for more than a decade following a lightning police crackdown on gun crime in Rotherham.
High-Speed Chase Ends With Arrest After Maltby Shooting
Joshua Stevens, 36, and Luke Rushforth, 24, tried to ditch police after a 999 call reported gunfire at a Maltby home on 11 May 2025. Their desperate bid to flee failed.
Backed by a police helicopter, officers tracked the pair’s every move and finally caught them in the early hours of 12 May.
Damning Evidence Puts Gunslingers Behind Bars
- Discarded clothing matching CCTV – a balaclava and black jumper – found near the shooting scene
- A gun hidden in a Maltby hedgerow, confirmed by forensics to have been fired during the incident
- At Stevens’ home, 52 shotgun cartridges were seized stuffed in a plastic bag
Justice Served at Sheffield Crown Court
Both men pled guilty to a string of firearms offences.
“Stevens admitted four counts of firearm possession and three counts of ammunition possession,” police confirmed.
Stevens was handed six years inside plus an extended two-year licence period. Rushforth got five years for three firearm charges and two ammunition offences.
This tough sentence follows a tense manhunt for dangerous gunmen who brought terror to Rotherham’s streets.
