A teenage boy has died after being shot in a park in west London where hundreds of people were gathering.
The boy, believed to be 15, was found injured in Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance near Hazlewood Crescent, Ladbroke Grove, and later pronounced dead at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police said officers and paramedics were called to the shooting at about 19:20 BST on Sunday. Local residents have said a pre-carnival event involving children was taking place at the time.
Six males have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.
The Met added the London Air Ambulance also attended, but there were “no reports of any other injuries”.
Work is taking place to identify the victim and notify his next of kin.
Earlier this month, two teenagers were taken to hospital following a shooting in nearby Notting Hill.
Local residents have said there is “shock, disbelief and fear” in the neighbourhood, especially among parents, some of whom have said they will be taking “extra precautions” as a result.
Cristina Cortinas, 40, who lives in the area, told BBC London that the shooting was a “tragedy” and “really sad for the community”.
“A young boy has lost his life,” she said.
“I have got two small, young children – I fear for them, I fear for their future, I fear for them living in this community.
“We are very much a tight community and we are all very sad.”
‘Understandably worried’
Elizabeth Campbell, the Conservative leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said she could not “begin to imagine what family and friends are going through”.
“Many people will be understandably worried about this terribly violent incident happening in our neighbourhood,” she added.
“I’m glad to hear from our police teams that there will be a very visible police presence in the coming days.”
The council said the park, Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance, was likely to remain closed throughout today.
About 20 officers have been stationed around the crime scene and the forensics team continues to carry out investigations.
‘Violence must stop’
Joe Powell, MP for Kensington and Bayswater, described the shooting as “horrific news”.
He posted on X: “My thoughts are with his family. These senseless acts of violence must stop.”
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I am heartbroken by the devastating news that a 15-year-old has needlessly lost his life in Ladbroke Grove.
“I remain in regular contact with the Met Police who are working round the clock to investigate this horrific incident.”
Fatal shootings in London are far less common than stabbings, although there have been six homicides involving guns so far this year, and three of those have been recorded in the last six weeks.
Last month, the Met said that “lethal barrel discharge”, where a weapon is fired, was at its lowest level in 15 years.
But a number of high profile cases, including a shooting in Dalston in May, which left a nine-year-old girl fighting for her life, have caused huge public concern.
The young age of the victim of this latest shooting, believed to be just 15 years old, and the reports that he was attacked as a pre-carnival event for children took place nearby, will also raise worries about the safety of young people as schools break up for summer.