A 7-year-old girl is on the verge of death and five others, including a teenage girl, were injured in a shooting near a London church where a funeral was being held on Saturday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to St Aloysius Church in Euston, north of the English capital, around 1.30pm (2.30pm French time). “Initial investigations indicate the shots were fired from a moving vehicle, which was then driven away from the scene,” the Metropolitan Police said.
Four women and two girls, aged 7 and 12, were injured. They, along with others, attended the funeral service for a mother and daughter at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church, who had died shortly thereafter in November. Fresia Calderon, 50, collapsed at Heathrow Airport on November 5, the victim of a pulmonary embolism, as she got off the plane and her daughter Sara Sanchez, 20, died 25 days later of leukemia, diagnosed at the age of 17. Sara and her younger brother were all returning from a trip to Colombia at the airport when their mother died.
“We were all huddled in corners”
On Saturday, the helper was outside the church attending a release of pigeons when the car appeared. “A black car arrived and started firing bullets. It was messy! ‘ a witness told MyLondon. Another assures that “nobody knew if it was a bomb or a gunman. We looked for hiding places. We were all huddled in corners.” Father Jeremy Trood, who officiates at St. Aloysius Church, “heard a loud bang.” “People leaving the church rushed in.”
A police source told the Mail on Sunday that a man jumped out of the car and shot into the crowd as the birds, symbols of peace, were released. A witness told The Sun that a suspect appeared to have been chased into nearby Euston train station. According to the police, there have been no arrests so far.
“An investigation into this horrific attack is already underway involving local officials and specialized detectives. I can assure the communities of Camden and beyond that we will do everything we can to identify those responsible and bring them to justice,” said Supt Ed Wells, urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact police to report or testify anonymously the Crimestoppers website. He also warned of an increased police presence in the neighborhood “throughout the weekend and in the coming days as we move forward with this investigation”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the shooting “deeply shocking”. “A police investigation is ongoing and I am in close contact with the Metropolitan Police to determine what happened. »
“I am deeply shocked by the Euston shooting and would like to thank the emergency services for their response,” Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s main opposition Labor Party, said on Twitter.
I am deeply shocked by the Euston shooting and would like to thank the emergency services for their response. My thoughts are with the victims.
Anyone with information should call 101 quoting reference 3357/14JAN or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) January 14, 2023
The 12-year-old girl was hospitalized for a few hours with a minor leg injury. The injured 48-year-old woman could have lasting consequences. The 41- and 54-year-old women were briefly hospitalized and the condition of the 21-year-old is still unknown.