The 16-year-old boy who was shot dead in Stockwell yesterday has been named by locals as Lathaniel.
The teenager, who was described as "very bright at school", was reportedly killed after a group of gunmen reportedly descended on Paradise Road dressed as Deliveroo drivers.
Lathaniel was pronounced dead on Tuesday afternoon despite paramedics' efforts to save him at the scene.
Police were called at 3.21pm yesterday to reports of a shooting in Paradise Road, Stockwell.
Lathaniel was pictured as the victim of the shooting
PA
No arrests have yet been made in connection with the shooting, the Metropolitan Police said.
A crime scene and cordons remain in place, with several police cars and officers stationed nearby.
A man who identified himself as the boy's uncle claimed the gunmen posed as delivery drivers.
"They came on a moped dressed as Deliveroo drivers," he said.
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The 16-year-old boy was shot dead on Paradise Road in ClaphamGOOGLE STREET VIEWThe relative, who asked not to be named, made the claim as family members gathered to pay their respects on Wednesday.
Relatives described the teenager as a Manchester United fan who enjoyed playing PlayStation 5. He leaves behind one sibling, a sister who was not named.
A local resident who knew the boy's mother said Lathaniel was "very bright at school" and that his father worked at a nearby go-karting facility.
"He is great at looking after this community," the woman said.
An aerial image of Paradise RoadGOOGLE MAPSAnother resident who knew Lathaniel said she was distressed, revealing her own son had died in a stabbing years ago.
"This area is not safe at night," said a young woman living nearby. "There are a lot of teenage boys that cause trouble."
She noted there were no cameras in the area of the shooting, adding the attackers had "no shame" with "a primary school next door".
The killing is the first fatal shooting in London so far this year, following 13 in 2024 out of a total of 105 homicides recorded by Scotland Yard.
A stock image of a Deliveroo driver
PAAccording to figures from mid-December, eight out of 104 killings in 2023 involved a gun, while there were 10 fatal shootings in 2022.
A recent national amnesty for blank-firing guns saw more than 1,000 Turkish-manufactured weapons handed in during February across England and Wales.
Law enforcement officials discovered these weapons could be converted to fire live ammunition in around 20 minutes.
The guns are being modified by organised criminals to fire live rounds.
