A 15-year-old boy has been shot dead during a ‘family fun day’ event at a park in Notting Hill.
Emergency services, including police and the air ambulance rushed to Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance – known locally as ‘Teletubbies Park’ – at around 7.20pm on Sunday evening.
The boy was found fatally wounded and he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Officers are working to identify him and inform his family.
A security officer who was working at the event said: ‘A teenager was assassinated. I was right there. People were rushing and everyone was screaming. They were rushing through the barrier. There were two gunshots.
‘We had booked the street that’s cordoned off for a film shoot tomorrow. I don’t know if that’s going to happen now.’
Another security officer for a nearby building said he saw a a helicopter at five or six PM.
He said: ‘There’s loads of guns around here. It’s the area. It’s a dodgy area. Everyone around here has got something. Carnival is coming next month. People start hurting themselves for no reason. It’s sad.’
Dozens of residents have been prevented from accessing their cars. One told the Mail: ‘We can’t access our vehicles. We’re just waiting. We’ve not been given much information. We’ve been waiting a couple of hours.’
The Metropolitan Police says six males have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.
Video posted on social media shows multiple police and paramedic vehicles outside the park, while there are reports online of people fleeing in panic after hearing gunshots.
Video taken before the incident shows hundreds of people, including families with their children, gathering in Emslie Horniman Pleasance – named after a 19th century philanthropist and politician – for ‘Park Lime’, an annual event.
It is organised by the Caribbean Music Association which bills itself as a ‘family fun day’ with DJs, carnival stalls and food kiosks.
A crime scene remains in place at the park, which is known locally as ‘Teletubbies Park’ due to the brightly coloured children’s play area that bears a resemblance to the children’s TV show.
In a statement the Met said: ‘Police were called at approximately 19:20hrs on Sunday, 21 July to reports of a shooting in a park near Hazlewood Crescent, W10.
‘Officers, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance all attended the scene.
‘A teenager, believed aged 15, was found suffering injuries. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services he was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘Work is ongoing to identify and inform his next of kin.’
The force said that there were no reports of anyone else being injured, adding: ‘Six males have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 7.19pm this evening (21 July) to reports of a shooting in a park off Hazlewood Crescent, Ladbroke Grove.
‘We sent a number of resources including ambulances crews, paramedics in fast response cars and an incident response officer. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.
‘Sadly a man died at the scene despite the best efforts of our crews to save his life.’
Anyone with information at this early stage is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD6343/21Jul. You can also report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.