Extra police patrols have been put in place in Newham as the borough braces itself for a revenge attack after a double shooting in broad daylight yesterday.
A 14-year-old boy is in a critical condition in hospital and a 17-year-old has suffered ‘life changing’ injuries following the shooting near a children’s playground in Forest Gate.
They have been named locally as Corey Junior Davis and Jamal Reid.
A source, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Corey went to Forest Gate School until he was kicked out in Year 8 for causing trouble.
‘The boy he was with on Monday is Jamal Reid, he is not from Newham and I think he is from wherever Corey was moved to.
‘He was then removed from Newham all together because everyone thought he was in danger from gangs…he should never have come back here.’
Police are searching for a suspect in an alleged double shooting in Newham, east London
The Metropolitan Police said there were ‘serious concerns’ of retaliation and have put extra officers on the streets as well as enhanced stop and search powers.
Police said it had taken the action after a spate of shootings in the area.
Inquiries are continuing and no arrests have been made.
The pair were in an alleyway when the gunman approached them from behind and opened fire at 3.10pm in Moore Walk, Forest Gate, east London.
London Ambulance Service attended the scene and both boys were rushed to an east London hospital.
Police were called to Moore Walk in Forest Gate, east London, after a suspected double shooting left one man fighting for his life and another with potentially life-changing injuries
A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘They were just sitting there talking, and then this guy just came from behind and shot him.
‘Fourteen-years-old, what can you do to get shot in the head with a shotgun?’
A nearby resident told the Standard: ‘The shooting was outside the playground. I heard the noise from my house – pow, pow, it was twice. I looked outside my window and I couldn’t see anything, but then I heard people screaming and I went outside.
‘The boy couldn’t talk, he was just laying down breathing hard. I didn’t want to look at him because I saw too much blood. They said he came up behind him and shot him.
‘The other guy was talking, he had managed to run but got shot in his leg. They live here, they’re local. They’re always playing around here. They’re very young, they’re kids.’
Horrified staff from the nearby Lord Lister Surgery, which backs onto Moore Walk, ran outside to help the victims.
A receptionist said: ‘I heard three shots and I thought nothing of it until I heard someone shout ‘oh no, they got him in the head’.
‘There was quite a lot of people outside and I saw one of my colleagues run outside to see what they could do to help, but there was a lot of people surrounding him.
‘There was this old lady holding him like a baby, cradling him in her arms.
‘I was phoning an ambulance with the other boy who had been shot in the leg. I was telling him not to worry, but it was as if he was not taking it in.’
A resident of the housing estate near Forest Gate tube station was watching TV when he heard several gunshots.
Imran Saddiq, 66, said: ‘I was watching telly and all of a sudden I heard some gunshots.
‘I looked out my window and I saw a boy trying to get away. He had a wound to his leg so I called the ambulance. There was a lady who was helping and comforting him.’
It has been suggested on social media the double shooting was ‘revenge’ for a stabbing last week at the Westfield Shopping Centre in nearby Stratford.
Officers say firearms incidents are blighting communities in the London borough of Newham
Police have put a cordon in place after one man was left in critical condition after being shot
Chief Superintendent Ade Adelekan, head of policing in the London Borough of Newham, said: ‘Sadly two young men have been shot on our streets, one of whom remains critically ill in hospital.
‘We are only too well aware that this incident comes after a number of shootings… that are blighting our communities and seriously injuring our young men.’
He added that there would be extra officers on duty in the borough overnight due to fears there could be a revenge attack, and that he had authorised them to use stop and search tactics.
‘Proactive work will continue with our borough teams and specialist units such as Trident Area and Crime Command to investigate and catch the people responsible for these offences.
‘Violence has no place on our streets, and we have already made four arrests in connection with recent firearms offences,’ he said.
‘I want the community of Newham to help us tackle this – if you have any information about people carrying or supplying firearms please let us know and we will take action.’
Met Police figures published in April revealed a 42 per cent spike in gun offences – up to 2,544 compared to 1,793 between April 2015 and 2016.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said paramedics treated the victims at the scene before they were rushed to hospital.
‘We sent two ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer to the scene.
‘We also dispatched our Physician Response Unit which consists of a paramedic and a doctor.
‘We treated patients at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre as a priority.’
Any witnesses or anyone with any information should call Newham Police on 101.