5 year old girl shot in the chest, man shot in face

[Guest Klitschko]

Police are searching for several youths after a five-year-old girl was shot in the chest at a south London shop.

A 35-year-old man, also found at the Stockwell Food & Wine shop in Lambeth, was shot in the face.

The two victims are in a critical but stable condition in hospital. The five year old was visiting relatives who owned the shop and the man lived above the premises.

Police said two black youths were believed to have run into the store shortly before the shots were fired.

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

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Boughton

"The youths had been chased from Broom Grove Road, across Stockwell Road, and into the shop by three other black youths on bicycles," a police statement said.

"Once the youths on bikes were outside the shop, one of them fired shots into the shop front."

Officers believe the two intended targets then ran from the shop to chase the three on bicycles, heading back towards the Stockwell Park Estate.

Family friend Kirubakaran Nantheesparan told Sky News he saw the child. "She was flat on the floor," he said.

Stockwell Shooting Witness

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"I didn't see any blood on her body just a small injury on her chest on the right hand side."

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Boughton 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.

Scene of Stockwell Road shooting of five-year-old girl

A councillor said there was a "well-known problem with guns and gangs" in the area

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

Sky reporter Jane Dougall, in Stockwell, said a local man claimed "he came out of his house and saw what he described as five youths - aged between 13 and 15 - on bikes".

She said: "As soon as the gunshots had happened, he saw them fleeing into the estate across the road.

"It has been reported that other local people have said that five youths had an argument with the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper had banned them from his shop."

Scene of Stockwell Road shooting of five-year-old girl

The scene in Stockwell Road

Peter Robbins, one of three Lambeth councillors who represent the area, said: "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."

Mr Robbins said the local community was "numb and horrified, and rightly so".

No arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.

Witnesses or anyone with any information are asked to call the Operation Trident incident room on 0208 247 4553 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

:: Meanwhile, at least 22 people have been arrested during a police operation aimed at cracking down on drug gang violence across Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton, Kingston, Waltham Forest, Lambeth and Croydon.

Police seized sums of cash amounting to around £10,000, drugs, various drug dealing paraphernalia such as scales, numerous mobile phones and jewellery believed to be stolen.

[Lenny]

[Guest Klitschko]

Ah safe. Saw that topic a couple times but didn't enter cuz of the title.