A shooting in a residential area of Hackney, east London, has left a woman dead and two others injured, including a teenager. The 42-year-old woman died at the scene, while a 20-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were taken to hospital for assessment. There have been no arrests in connection with the attack. Police cordoned off the cul-de-sac Vine Close and erected a tent beside one of the front doors while forensics examined a car at the entrance to the close. Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall called for witnesses to the “shocking” attack.
Initial reports indicated that the shooting occurred around 18:30 GMT on Tuesday evening. No motive has been revealed, and the police have launched a murder investigation. Tunstall expressed her understanding of the impact of the incident on the community and pledged to share information as the investigation developed. In a statement, she said: “Gun crime has no place on the streets of London and we will do all we can to bring whoever is responsible for this despicable crime to justice.”
The shooting has highlighted the prevalence of gun crime in the UK capital, despite a fall in overall violent crime during the coronavirus pandemic. Gun-related crime in London has escaped the notice that has been given to knife crime, which rose by 6% during England’s Covid-19 lockdown. Nevertheless, shootings have continued, apparently involving gangs and drugs. Just a few days ago, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick warned of a potential surge in violent crime once the Covid-19 lockdown was lifted.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan pledged to make gun crime a key focus of his second term in office. The Labour politician secured a second term after defeating Conservative rival Shaun Bailey in the London mayoral election this month. The capital recorded a total of 125 homicides in 2020 – 19% of which involved firearms
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More