Sydenham shooting: Man killed in broad daylight in south London
Firearms officers called to Lewisham after shots fired
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A man has been shot to death in broad daylight in London, the Metropolitan Police said.
Officers were called to Sydenham Road in Lewisham at 15.45 on Sunday, to reports of suspicious activity.
Shots were heard and firearms officers were immediately called to the scene, along with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service.
The victim, in his 20s, was found with gunshot wounds. He died at the scene at 15.50.
Witnesses at the scene said the victim was rumoured to have accidentally shot himself.
“He came to shoot someone else, but he ended up shooting himself,” said a 56-year-old woman who lives near the crime scene.
“The bullet bounced off a car window. You can see on the car window where the bullet bounced off it.
“After it happened, the boy he came to shoot stood there filming him.”
She added: “He’s been there for three hours covered by a sheet. No mum, no dad. It’s really sad.”
A shopkeeper on the nearby high street also said he had heard reports the man shot himself.
“A group of guys were sitting in a car by the [Lloyds] bank and a big guy came up to them with a shotgun,” he said.
“They all got out of the car and ran so the guy decided to damage the car with the back of the gun.
“As he was hitting the windows the gun went off and he shot himself – that’s what we’ve been told.”
Other witnesses said numerous rumours about the shooting were circulating in the local community.
One man said: “We’ve heard three or four different stories – we’ve heard it was a guy on a moped, someone in a car and then that the [victim] did it to himself.”
Police enquiries are continuing and a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said no arrests had yet been made.
Ellie Reeves, Labour MP for Lewisham West and Penge, tweeted: “Shocked and saddened to learn of the fatal shooting in Sydenham this afternoon.
“My thoughts are with the victim and their family. This violence has no place in our community.”
There were 12 fatal shootings and two deaths involving a knife and a gun in the capital between January and November 2018.
Figures released in May 2019 saw the number of shootings and stabbings plummet, though knife crime simultaneously hit a record high across England and Wales.
Murder and manslaughter figures also reached a 10-year high in 2018.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police 101 quoting CAD 4860/8Sept or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.