A two-year-old boy is in a coma after being shot in the head by a motorbike-riding gunman in north west London, according to a worried relative.
Two teenage boys were also shot alongside the baby’s mother, a 27-year-old woman, who was shot eight times including in the chest, arm, and leg, said the relative. Police said the three adults’ injuries are ‘not life threatening.’
The shooting happened at around 9.45pm yesterday evening on a residential road in Harlesden, north west London, police said.
The gunman first shot the teenage boys, 18-year-old Juane Youngsam and 19-year-old Rynell Seaton, according to the relative.
He then shot the woman, 27-year-old Piera Hutton, and her two-year-old boy, Ace, with a hand gun as she attempted to flee the shooting.
Two men in their late teens and the child’s mother, in her late 20s, are in non life-threatening conditions following the shooting in Harlesden, Brent, at 9.45pm. Pictured: Police at the scene
Piera Hutton called a family member from the scene to ask for help, explaining what had happened, according to the family.
The relative, a teenager who did not want to be named for her family’s safety, said: ‘Rynell and Juane were walking with Lillian, Piera’s mum, back to her house, when the boys just came and started shooting.
‘They tried to shoot Rynell in the neck, but he ducked and they shot him in the arm. Then Juane tried to run off but they shot him in the back and leg.’
She added: ‘Then I think Piera was in the car near her house trying to run with her baby.
‘They shot her eight times in the chest, leg, backside and arm. Then they went to the baby, close range, and shot him in the head. The bullet went straight through the other side. Piera called my grandma for help and she rushed over there and saw all of them on the floor, Juane, Rynell, Piera and the baby, going into the ambulances.’
The child was rushed to a central London hospital where police said he was in a serious but stable condition (pictured, the scene today)
The family member’s mother had visited the victims in hospital.
She said: ‘They are about to operate on Piera, she has internal bleeding, but I think she will be okay.
‘The baby is in a coma. I hope he pulls through.’
Another relative commenting on the attack, a 22-year-old woman, added: ‘We think it was a random attack. We have no idea who did it.
‘I hope there is CCTV there to find whoever did it. I hope our family get justice.’
The Met Police confirmed one of the injured was a two-year-old child who is in a ‘serious but stable’ condition at a central London hospital.
The Met said a lone man wielding a handgun approached the group in the street (pictured today) and fired ‘multiple shots’ at the two teenage men and into a nearby car
A police spokesperson added: ‘Two men, aged in their late teens, and the mother of the child, a woman in her late 20s, were also taken to hospital. The condition of the three adults is not life-threatening or changing.’
‘All the injured are believed to be known to each other and it appears they were in the street when they were approached by a lone man.
‘The man was carrying a hand gun and he fired multiple shots at the two teenage men, he also fired into a car they were near.
‘As a result of the indiscriminate shooting the mother was hit, as was the child who was in the car.
‘The gunman is then believed to have left the scene on a motorbike. There have been no arrests.’
Detective Chief Inspector Rick Sewart of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command (Trident), said: ‘As result of this terrible crime an innocent two-year-old-boy is now seriously ill in hospital.
‘This child was shot in a wanton act of indiscriminate violence. I know that people will be shocked and horrified that a little boy should be the victim of a gunman and I need the community to show their support for him, and his family, by telling police what they know.’
Police confirmed that nobody has yet been arrested in connection with the horror shooting.
Police confirmed that nobody has yet been arrested in connection with the horror shooting
Horrified residents said they saw the child ‘unconscious’ before being wrapped in a blanket and taken to an ambulance.
Valerie Miller who lives yards from the scene, said: ‘[The child] was wrapped in a silver insulating blanket and appeared to be unconscious. It was very disturbing and quite unsettling.’
Ms Miller, 63, added: ‘I saw another victim. He looked like he was a young man and appeared unconscious too. There was a third adult victim, but they were conscious.’
Another neighbour, Nina Moran, said she heard screams and crowds gathering at the scene while she was at home alone with her young son.
The 34-year-old said: ‘I just heard people screaming and saying a kid around three years old had been shot. Everyone was saying just ring an ambulance.
‘My neighbour went out to help one of the men who was shot. She told me that the bullet had gone through his shoulder and she was pressing the wound to stop the blood flowing.’
There was a heavy police presence on Thursday morning after the shocking incident last night
A school teacher who lives opposite the scene said she saw a man running from the scene before fleeing on a moped.
The woman, called Yvonne, 55, said: ‘I heard four or five gunshots and looked out of the window.
She said: ‘I then saw a person dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet on running from houses on Energen Close where the shooting happened.
‘I can only assume the person running from the house had fired the shots and then fled.
‘They jumped on the back of a scooter driven by another person. I could not see their faces because of the helmets.
‘But they were both dressed in black. I couldn’t see whether the man running from the flats had a gun.’
Another man and a woman are in non life-threatening conditions following the gun attack in Harlesden, Brent, at 9.45pm
Yvonne remained at the scene from where she said she saw the child being taken into an ambulance.
She added: ‘I saw it with my own eyes. He was a baby boy, aged about one and a half.
‘I’m sure he was a boy. He was wrapped in a silver-coloured blanket. I know the family involved, but don’t want to give any further information.’
Police confirmed that nobody has yet been arrested in connection with the horror shooting
Forensic officers were checking a white car at the scene, which had its windows smashed
North West Borough Commander Roy Smith added: ‘This violent incident in itself is shocking but even more abhorrent is the fact that one of the victims is a young child.
‘We are doing all that we can to bring these criminals to justice and I am working closely with the senior investigating officer from the Met’s Trident Command who is leading the investigation.
‘The Trident team are being supported by specialist detectives from across the Met along with officers from the North West Command Unit.
‘We want to hear from anyone who might have any information which could help the investigation no matter how insignificant they feel it is.
‘As a child is battling for their life I urge everyone in the local community to support us by coming forward with any information that will help us make arrests.
‘I am making sure that we have extra officers on the borough, right now and in the coming weeks. This includes offices from the Violent Crime Task Force and the Met’s Specialist Firearm Command.
‘I know that residents will be worried about their safety and the safety of their families.
‘This is my primary concern and local officers will be conducting additional patrols to provide support and a visible reassurance.
‘I also know that to tackle violence we need to work together – I have been in touch with community leaders today and we will continue to listen and respond to concerns raised by local residents.’