Nigerian teenager shot dead in UK

A 16 year old Nigerian teenager, Samuel Adelagun, has been shot dead in east London by two masked gunmen firing at a group of four youths.

Adelagun, was shot in the upper left chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene in Chesterton Road, Plaistow. Police also found a boy of 15 who was shot in the abdomen. He is still in hospital in a stable condition.

Police say the shooting took place in parkland at the junction of upper road when two gunmen appeared behind the four teenagers and began firing. The group aged 15 and 16 were attacked from behind by the gunmen at around 3.20am.

All four youngsters ran away and then re-grouped in the area and sought help from a local resident where Samuel was shot in the upper left chest, while the 15-year-old was blasted in the abdomen.

The only description of the gunmen is that they were dressed in black and wearing balaclavas. It is not known if they travelled in a vehicle or were on foot.

Detectives from the Met's Trident unit, which tackles gun related crime within the black community, are investigating the death.

Annie Smith, 77, of Howards Road, backing on to the parkland, said: "I heard two males shouting then I went back to sleep. Then I heard three or four bangs. I thought it could be fireworks but it may have been shots. I then heard somebody shouting and someone answer faintly. They are just kids, why were they out so late?"

Floral tributes, including seven bunches of white roses, were laid at the foot of the police cordon taping off the scene.

No arrest has been made, according to the London Metropolitan Police.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Samuel Adelagun at Walthamstow mortuary, police said.

Such pointless loss of life. My thoughts are with the young mans family.