Woman shot in ‘crossfire of drive-by shooting’ in north London
A woman was shot after she was thought to be caught in the crossfire of an attempted drive-by shooting in north London.
The 38-year-old victim was hit in the leg by a stray bullet after a gunman hung out of the passenger side window and appeared to fire at another car in Reizel Close, Stamford Hill, at 7.40pm on Tuesday.
A shopkeeper working nearby told The Independent: “I heard two bangs and ran out of the shop. I saw a car speed off. The woman was lying on the floor with everyone around her. You couldn’t get close to her.”
Armed police descended on the scene of the busy road. The victim was taken to hospital where her condition was assessed as not life-threatening.
A source at voluntary security force Shomrim told The Independent the woman appeared to be caught in the crossfire between two cars.
He said: “A front passenger of a VW Golf holds the gun outside the window and tries to shoot a guy driving a Ford. It appears she was caught in the middle.”
A witness added two more shots were reportedly heard half a mile away from the scene in Clapton Common.
The source added: “It’s a big miracle that there were no serious injuries. Four confirmed gunshots in Stamford Hill - it is madness, totally reckless.
“We have the area covered in CCTV and have passed it over to the Met.”
The Met Police said no arrests have been made after the drive-by shooting as detectives continue to search for the gunman.
No arrests have been made at this time.
DI Dave Hickford of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “We are working hard to establish the full circumstance surrounding this incident and following initial enquiries we do not believe that the victim was the intended target.
“I urge anyone with information to get in touch without delay, help us take dangerous criminals off your streets.”
DCS James Conway, local policing lead for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “This was an extremely concerning incident for our communities and illustrates just how indiscriminate the danger of gun crime can be.
“I urge anyone with information about this incident to contact my local officers or our colleagues in Specialist Crime who are leading the investigation.
“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. This offence shows the dreadful impact of gun crime across all of our communities.
“My local policing teams will continue to be out in the community, so please do approach officers if you have specific concerns or information.”
Anyone with information or footage should call police on 101 or post on X @MetCC quoting reference CAD 7076/14May.
To remain 100 percent anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
