A woman who was shot in the leg in Stamford Hill, north London, was not the intended target, according to the Metropolitan Police. Officers were called to Reizel Close at about 19:40 BST on Tuesday following reports of a shooting.
The victim was taken to an east London hospital, where her condition was assessed as not life-threatening. No arrests have been made, and police are not treating the incident as a hate crime. Detective Inspector Dave Hickford of the Met's Specialist Crime Command said: 'We are working hard to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and, following initial inquiries, we do not believe that the victim was the intended target.'
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, local policing lead for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, described the incident as 'extremely concerning' and said it 'illustrates just how indiscriminate the danger of gun crime can be.' He added: 'This incident created additional concern, given the proximity to our large Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area. I can confirm that there is no indication that this offence was hate-related and it was not directly connected with our Jewish communities or international events.'
Residents expressed shock at the shooting, with one saying: 'It's quite a nice area – very unusual – very safe road here normally.' Another local told the BBC she was not surprised but said it was 'sad.' A third resident commented: 'It's frightening – but happens all the time in London – it just happens to have happened here last night.'
According to the Office for National Statistics, police-recorded gun crime in London has risen by 20%, from 1,009 offences in the year ending December 2022 to 1,208 offences last year. However, Met Police figures show it is below pre-pandemic levels and well below levels seen 15 years ago. Fatal shootings remain less common than stabbings, but three young men have been killed using a firearm this year, and seven fatal shootings occurred last year.
Specialist firearms officers and London Ambulance Service responded to the callout. An LAS spokesperson said the woman was treated at the scene before being taken to a major trauma centre as a priority. Anyone with information or footage has been urged to contact police.
