Families flee as gunmen open fire on church congregation

Terrified churchgoers, including young families, fled for their lives when gunmen sprayed bullets into a crowd leaving a south London service.

Two men opened fire outside the New Testament Church of God off Brixton Hill in Lambeth as more than 600 people, including the Jamaican High Commissioner and four families christening young children, made their way out of the building on Easter Sunday.

Up to 10 shots were reportedly fired into the group in what is believed to have been part of a feud between two rival gangs. There were claims that one gunman tried to enter the church to target a young member of the congregation.

Cars were riddled with bullets from a high-powered weapon that some witnesses described as a sub- machine pistol.

Donna Sinclair, 50, who was at the church for a christening, was crossing the road when the shots started. She said: "People were panicking and screaming, fleeing all over the place. There was gunshot after gunshot. Our most precious elderly, children and others screamed and prayed for their lives on the pavement.

"I was with my 10-year-old grandson and he was absolutely terrified. We had to go into someone else's house."

Three men were arrested after the attack in Lambert Road. A 25-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder.

Pastor Dr Rudolph Parkinson said it was "miraculous" no one was injured. "This is church and it is one of the last things you would expect that we would have such commotion from our young black people," he said.

The attack came only weeks after five-year-old Thusha Kamaleswaran was shot in Stockwell. She was injured on March 29, when three youths on bikes chased two others into a shop and opened fire.

Mrs Sinclair, who runs Options 4 Change, a charity which helps young black people achieve their potential, said: "Our community is in trauma." She criticised "the lack of political intervention and the silent voices on so-called 'black on black' violence. Politicians need to demand more for people who voted for them."