Teenager arrested over Stockwell shooting

A 19-year-old man was detained in south London this afternoon following a shooting which left Five-year old Thursha Kamaleswaran and a 35-year old shopkeeper – believed to be Roshan Selvakumar – in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

The arrest comes after detectives investigating the shooting in Stockwell revealed earlier that they had been contacted by a youth who believed he was the target of the attack.

Police were hunting three youths who fled from the scene when their fire hit innocent bystanders at the Stockwell Food and Wine Shop.

They have called in the Territorial Support Group to reassure locals who fear “tit for tat” attacks from the 50 or so gangs who apparently operate in the area where the shooting took place.

Chief Superintendent Nick Ephgrave called for people in the area to come forward if they have information about the “truly shocking event”.

Crimestoppers are offering a £50,000 reward for information leading to the gun attackers’ capture, the police said. They also said the girl’s brother and sister were in the shop at the time of the shooting, but they were unhurt when two shots were fired.

Vigil

Thursha Kamaleswaran’s parents are holding a bedside vigil today as she fights to recover from her critical injuries, a close family friend said.

Velluppillai Navaratnam, 49, from Croydon, south London, said friends and family members were praying for her recovery.

“I would like to say that it has been a very difficult time for family and friends,” he told reporters at the scene of the shooting.

“The parents of Thursha are at the hospital now. We are all praying for her to get well soon.”

Shooting

Thursha, believed to be London’s youngest gun crime victim, was shot in the chest and Mr Selvakumar was shot in the head in the incident, at 9.15pm on Tuesday.

They were injured as two black youths cowered in the store after being chased by three other black youths on bicycles. As the pair hid inside, the gunman stopped at the door and opened fire indiscriminately. Police are not sure how many bullets were fired.

The three attackers, who a witness said were aged between 14 and 17, fled as their intended targets chased them on foot from the Stockwell Road shop along Broomgrove Road and into Stockwell Park Estate.

Read more: London gun crime figures 'worryingly high' 

The victims, who police said were Sri Lankan and unrelated, were rushed to hospital in south London. The girl was visiting relatives when the attackers struck.

Witness plea

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Boughton urged witnesses to come forward.

He said: “This is a terrible incident where an innocent child has been seriously injured.

“We want to hear from the local community, who might have seen these youths cycling around the estate between 9pm and 10pm.

“I appeal to those who have information or were involved in this shooting to come forward and assist us with this investigation.

“These criminals have seriously injured two innocent bystanders and must face the consequences of their actions.”

Mr Boughton said the girl was the youngest gun crime victim he knew of and appealed to the intended targets to help bring justice to her family. “They are an important part in helping us understand exactly what was happening and should be able to direct us to those responsible,” he said.

He added that the injured pair “could have died and may still do”.

I think the whole community at the moment is numb and horrified, and rightly so. Peter Robbins, Lambeth councillor

Horrified witness Mareh Silva, 34, was leaving the convenience store with friends at around 9pm. She said she saw three black youths aged between 14 and 17 drop their bikes outside.

The boys’ faces were covered with black scarves and balaclavas and she could only see their eyes as they ran into the shop.

“I looked in and saw a lot of blood on the floor but I didn’t want to look at what had happened, and I was very scared,” she said.

‘Shocking’

Peter Robbins, one of three Lambeth councillors representing the area, said: “It is incredibly shocking. I think the whole community at the moment is numb and horrified, and rightly so.

“There is a fairly well-known problem with gangs and guns in Lambeth, it is something that the council and the police are working together incredibly hard to solve.

“Obviously, there is always more you can do and incidents like this really bring that home.”

Barny Stutter, 45, co-owner of nearby Brixton Cycles, said workers in the area’s fast-food shops were regularly hassled by yobs. He said he hoped the police got to the three before residents did.

“We are absolutely disgusted with what’s happened,” he said.

“The truth is, the gunman’s probably about 15 with a mentality of about five. I am sure they will be caught but it is disgusting. This area has recovered from a bad reputation built up in the media but we love to live and work in the community.”

Rachel Heywood, Lambeth Council cabinet member for community safety, said: “Tackling serious violence is a major priority for this council. A crime like this is hugely shocking and we will of course do everything in our power to assist the police with their investigation.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at what must be an extremely distressing time.”

Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to call police on 0300 123 1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.