Walthamstow shooting: Teen shot in 'gangland attack' hours after Met boss said crimewave was stabilising

A police cordon at the scene of the shooting outside St James Street station this week
Barney Davis
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A teenager was shot in a suspected gangland attack outside a train station last night hours after London’s police chief said the capital’s crimewave was being brought under control.

The 18-year-old was blasted in the stomach by a gunman outside the St James Street overground station in Walthamstow at around 10pm. He staggered inside the station and collapsed in front of staff and passengers.

Witnesses reported hearing three to six shots and screams of “help” before the station was evacuated and closed.

The victim was taken to hospital but today police said his life was no longer in danger. Armed officers went to the scene but there were no arrests.

The shooting came just hours after Met commissioner Cressida Dick said the surge in violent crime had “begun to stabilise”.

Walthamstow shooting: The 18-year-old man was shot in the suspect

She said there had been 87 murders in London so far this year, compared with 131 last year, but the number of killings had fallen from 15 a month in February and March to five in July.

Moped-related crimes and gangland stabbings were also said to be falling.

Ms Dick said: “We are determined these figures will come down. The trend has been going up pretty continuously since 2014 but it is early days and I am cautious about where we are.”

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy was due to hold a meeting on gang violence and street harassment in the area tonight.

One resident tweeted: “I am very concerned about the high level of violence that has taken place in this area over the last few months. It’s clearly become a hot-spot for gangs.”

The incident took place half a mile from where 16-year-old Amaan Shakoor was shot dead at Walthamstow Leisure Centre in April. No one has been charged with his murder.

Detectives from the Trident gangs unit today appealed for information on the shooting.

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