A 16-year-old Nigerian boy has been shot dead in east London.
Samuel Adelagun
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. Realist soldier. GBNEF.”
Hunt for gun gang who killed Samuel
From the mirror
An armed gang who shot dead a teenage boy and injured another were still on the run from police last night.
The masked gunmen blasted 16-yearold Samuel Adelagun in the chest in the early hours of Saturday.
He died at the scene while a 15-yearold friend was blasted in the abdomen but survived the ruthless attack.
The mob - dressed in black and wearing balaclavas - ambushed the pair and two other friends in Plaistow, East London, less than a mile from West Ham United football stadium.
Samuel and his pal tried to escape by running to a nearby stranger's house and banging on the door for help.
Four shots were then fired in the attack, which has shocked locals.
Annie Smith, 77, whose home backs on to parkland where the shootings happened, said: "I heard two males shouting then I went back to sleep. Then I heard three or four bangs. I thought it could be fireworks but it may have been shots.
"I then heard somebody shouting and someone answer faintly. They are just kids. Why were they out so late?" Samuel is the 16th teenager to be killed in London this year and the fifth to be shot dead. His murder is being investigated by Scotland Yard's Trident unit, which tackles gun-related crime within the black community.
Detective Chief Inspector John Mackenzie said: "The mother is very distraught as you would expect.
"It is a traumatic and violent way for a loved one to go."
Both victims were known to the police and one line of inquiry was that the incident was gang-related.
Floral tributes, including seven bunches of white roses, were yesterday laid at the foot of the police cordon taping off the murder scene.
One read: "To Sammy, one of the realist young bucks. Gone but never forgotten. 100% love. Liam."
Another said: "RIP Sammy. Realist soldier. GBNEF."
The friend who was also shot was in a "stable" condition in hospital.
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