A 16-year-old Nigerian boy has been shot dead in east London. Samuel Adelagun died from a bullet wound to the chest, a post-mortem examination has revealed.
Reports say Samuel of Newham, was shot in the upper left chest early on Saturday and died at the scene in Chesterton Road, Plaistow. London police officers think two balaclava-clad gunmen opened fire on a group of four youths, aged 15 and 16, from behind.
Police also found a boy of 15 who was shot in the abdomen. He was in a stable condition in hospital, as at press time. Also, no-one has yet been arrested, as at press time. The Metropolitan Police said 16 teenagers had been killed in London this year. Five of them were shot.
Police said both the victims of the Plaistow shooting, which happened at about 0320 BST, were known to them. Detectives from the Met’s Trident unit, which tackles gun-related crime within the black community, are investigating the death. The shooting took place in parkland at the junction of Upper Road and Chesterton Road. It is not known if the suspects arrived or departed from the area in a vehicle, but the gunmen were dressed in black and wore balaclavas, police said.
Det Ch Insp John Mackenzie said: “A number of shots were discharged and the youths dispersed. “They then got together again outside Chesterton Road.” He said the teenagers had knocked on the door of a house whose owners “provided some shelter as Good Samaritans”.
“The mother [of the deceased] is very distraught as you would expect. It is a traumatic and violent way for a loved one to go.” Tributes have been left at the scene by several people. One read: “To Sammy, one of the realist young bucks. Gone but never forgotten. 100% love. Liam.” Another message read: “RIP Sammy. [/quote] |