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Innocent boy dies in crossfire
Justin Davenport and Rashid Razaq7 Aug 2008
An innocent teenager was shot dead at a south London supermarket after being caught up in a drive-by attack.
The 18-year-old was hit in the back by a single bullet after gunmen on mopeds fired at two youths trying to flee into a Costcutter store in Walworth.
The victim was entering the supermarket with his brothers and some friends last night when up to five youths pulled up on the pavement on three mopeds.
Police believe two gunmen opened fire indiscriminately at the two running into the supermarket but hit the teenager instead. He managed to stagger to the back of the shop before collapsing.
Air ambulance paramedics treated him at the scene but he was pronounced dead nearly an hour later.
The teenager is the 22nd to be killed in London this year and the third to be shot.
Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson of the Operation Trident squad, which targets gun crime in the black community, said: "It appears at this stage that the victim has no links to gang activity and that he was an innocent bystander - caught up in the line of fire and was not the intended target.
"The victim was walking down Walworth Road with family members. As they entered Costcutters, two black men forced their way into the shop behind them as if they were trying to get away from something. As they did so, shots were fired. Up to five male suspects drove away on three mopeds in the direction of Boyson Road." He appealed to anyone who was in the store or who saw the youths on the mopeds to contact them urgently.
One witness said: "I was in the shop buying a few things. I saw four or five guys run in. Then I heard three or four shots. I think the guy was shot in the leg and the chest. I just ran, I left my things in the shop."
Wasim Akram, whose family own the store, said there were about nine customers and two cashiers there at the time. He said: "The gunman fired a shot near the door and the customers and cashiers fell on the floor."
There were confused reports from witnesses who said it appeared that the victim was deliberately targeted. Some said they saw a gunman chase him to the back of the store. However, police said they had a number of witnesses who described two youths desperately trying to flee the gunmen. Others described hearing between three and eight shots.
Police are investigating a possible link with an attack earlier in the day on the Myatts Field estate in Stockwell when a man was shot in the leg.
A 19-year-old youth was arrested after the killing. He was being questioned about possession of a handgun.
Scotland Yard said officers were called at about 9.40pm to the Costcutter in Walworth Road close to the junction with Camberwell Road.
Police were contacting relatives of the victim before releasing his name. Anyone with information is asked to call 020 8247 4554 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Reader views (9)
Some of the comments so far appear to lack any modicum of intelligence. To blame immigration for causing this problem is not in itself wrong, but the lack of analysis in putting that argument forward suggest to me that the people making such comments have no idea of history of global reality and thus cannot be considered to make any plausible contribution to the debate. Population movement has always being part of the human experience hence people of European "British" origin in the Americas, Southern Africa, Australian region et al, likewise the movement of Africans across the globe in Roman times and also during slavery. If people are against population movement then they should campaign to end it globally and return the wealth of Africa, South America, Asia etc and collect the people that settled there over time, likewise those places do the same and reciprocate the action.
Historical truth for you guys White or Western dominance of the world is roughly about 600-700 hundred years old so in Earth terms a short while, it will therefore not always be the status quo. We've had Asian empires, African empires, Chinese, Mughal, Mongolian, Ottoman, Roman, British and now American dominance, but as the world surely rotates nothing last forever and other nations and peoples will rise to dominance... So be careful what you wish for because your children or their children or even further might be the ones immigrating to other countries in future.
- James Mcknight, London, England, 08/08/2008 11:12
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Tony open your eyes mate, most gun crime and knife crime is perpetrated by black people, black people are not ingenious to these isles, and Steve you so right mate, but I m not waiting I m voting for the only party that will do something about it before its to late.
- Kev, London, 08/08/2008 08:23
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Sad to say boys, it seems more of this is on its way! Young people worldwide are becoming desensitized to the pain of others. The sad reality is, the real world falls eerily short of offering our youth viable opportunities to satisfy their most modest of aspirations. We must put new mechanisms in place to facilitate the satisfaction of their innate humane desires. We must find ways to rebuild HOPE. Many of our current institutions need to be put to rest. Expectations have shifted with the youth of today. They expect that what they want, they will get. Sadly they have not been shown viable vehicles to facilitate the acquisition. They “Want It All”, and, “Now”. Unfortunate as it is, if they don’t get it fast enough, they take it. Who could help us throttle back the momentum which this whirlpool of lustful self indulgence sucks our society into? Talk to John and the boys! It’s in the song!! Cheers to the ones who write with an uplifted hart! There hides no poison in this apple! The piper leads the way! Thank You, and, See You On The Beach! RICK
- Richard L. Ewart, Key West Florida USA, 08/08/2008 02:10
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Which wave of immigration, asks Paul. Perhaps its the fact that until recent decades, all past immigration waves were from near-cultures, from nearby country. Now, it's people from thousands of miles away who they they can do what they want, when they want. Plus, idiot youths who just want to `ape' the lowest form of American culture, namely gang culture and help rip this country apart. None of these fools realise the long term damage their doing. Hideous extreme regimes follow these kinds of situations of the wider public being sick of what's happening. Then the `ghetto' boys will see just how tough things really are, but buy then it'll be to late for us all.
- Paul Denton, lambeth, uk, 07/08/2008 22:34
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Hand guns are banned, so are drugs, but they seem to get into the country without difficulty. Illegal immigrants seem to get in to. A country cannot be sealed airtight against smuggling.
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy, 07/08/2008 15:01
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I wonder if Steve or Paul could show us the link to immigration in the above article. Doubt it. It might be more appropriate then, to first extend sympathies, condolences with the family caught up in this tragedy. In terms of Paul's dodgy comments on "fruits of immigration into this country" - which century, which wave of immigration are you referring to?
- Tony, London, 07/08/2008 13:59
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You wait, the eastern European immigrants will make these lot seem soft when their wave of easy citizenship takes hold. We are the toilet of the world, and catching up the US
- Steve, London UK, 07/08/2008 12:29
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The fruits of immigration into this country.
- Paul Nosworthy, Hornchurch england, 07/08/2008 12:24
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One of the strongest gun laws in the world for those who want to shoot, and this goes on regularly. Hand guns are banned in this country even our Olympic hopefuls train on foreign soil, make the punishment fit the crime.
- Ron Sealey, Croydon England, 07/08/2008 12:07
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