Video footage has been released showing a would-be assassin opening fire on two males, including a 16-year-old schoolboy, in Brixton, south Lonson in May of this year. The CCTV footage was issued by the Met Police and shows the masked man being given the weapon by an accomplice before approaching one of two young males and opening fire.
The suspect then follows the man, who falls to the ground before getting to his feet and running away, before opening fire again.
A 21-year-old man was found shot in the chest and windpipe and a 16-year-old schoolboy suffered minor gunshot injuries in the incident, which happened at approximately 7pm on 12 May at Marcella Road. CCTV caught three suspects at the junction of Marcella and Serenaders Road before one of the hooded men is seen handing a sawn-off shotgun to another member of the group before they run up the road.
The suspect with the gun then points and shoots towards people stood in the street on Marcella Road, injuring the man and schoolboy. The 21-year-old suffered a punctured lung and serious damage to his windpipe and was taken to a south London hospital, where he received immediate surgery but subsequently made a full recovery.
The 16-year-old, who was on his way to the library when he inadvertently ran into the path of the gunman, suffered a minor wound to his arm. He too was taken to a south London hospital and was later discharged.
The suspects fled the scene and ran down Ferry Mews, in the direction of Brixton Road. The first suspect grabbed a nearby pedal cycle left on Marcella Road and cycled off with his two accomplices running behind, trying to mask their faces with bandanas. The suspect on the bike can be seen in the footage waving the gun in the direction of two passers-by just yards away as he cycles past making his escape.
Detective Constable Jo Ross, from Trident and Area Crime Command, leading the investigation, said: The 21-year-old victim was fortunate to recover from what were potentially life-threatening injuries at the time of the incident. Other passers-by were threatened by having a shotgun pointed at them – these are dangerous people. We are keen for the public to give us any information in relation to this appeal, who witnessed the incident or who recognises the suspects. It happened in broad daylight and in an area full of schoolchildren.
Police have released images of the three suspects. Suspect one is described a medium-built black man in his 20s wearing a dark-blue hooded top and black bandana over his face. He was seen with a dark-coloured bag over his shoulder and wearing black and white gloves.
Suspect two is a black man of slim build in his 20s wearing a dark top with a large white Franklin and Marshall logo across the front, fur-lined hat with ear flaps, dark-grey bandana and black trousers. The third man is also black, of slim build and in his 20s wearing a dark hooded top, baseball cap with a white mark on the peak and black gloves.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
