A £1,000 reward is being offered after a 16-year-old boy was left in a serious condition in hospital after being shot in the back.
The teenager was gunned down early yesterday morning in Luton, Bedfordshire.
Armed police are today continuing to patrol the area around Thricknells Close, Marsh Farm, to help reassure concerned members of the public, Bedfordshire Police said.
Patrols are being doubled and officers will be stopping and searching people as they hunt for those responsible for the shooting.
Asst Chief Const Andrew Richer said: "We understand that there will be a number of law-abiding citizens who will be affected by this action.
"However, we hope that they will understand that this action is being taken to keep them and their loved ones safe and they will agree with us that this level of criminality will not be tolerated.
"These measures are being used to ensure those who commit these crimes are stopped so we would ask the public for their forbearance."
Emergency services were called to the scene just before 4am yesterday after residents reported hearing gunfire.
The teenager was found with gunshot wounds to his back and was taken to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
A man was seen leaving the area at the time of the shooting. He is described as white, in his mid-teens, wearing a blue top and blue denim jeans.
Armed police searched the area and a cordon was set up while scenes-of-crime officers conducted a forensic examination of the scene.
Detective inspector Sean Quinn, of Bedfordshire Police said: "We believe this was a targeted incident and we would urge anyone who has information about this shooting or anyone who can help identify the person seen leaving the scene to contact the police immediately."
The £1,000 reward is being offered to anyone who gives police information that leads to the arrest or conviction of someone involved in gun crime in the town.
Anyone with information about the shooting should call Bedfordshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.