Ilford shooting: Boy hit in cheek by shotgun pellet
People explain to an officer where they live in order to pass through the cordoned off area on Loxford Lane to their homes. - Credit: Archant
An onlooker has described the chaos when a quiet afternoon in Loxford Park was shattered by two gun shots with one “grazing” an 11-year-old boy’s face.
Police were called at 4.30pm yesterday after a man was blasted with a shotgun in Loxford Lane in broad daylight.
The boy was hit in the cheek by a pellet while playing in the park’s playground. The incident has shocked residents.
The 22-year-old man remains in hospital in a critical condition, while the child suffered minor injuries.
A 33-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, was visiting a relative near the shops, opposite Loxford Park, Loxford Lane.
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“I heard two loud bangs and we all came outside,” he said.
“One of the bullets strayed into the park.”
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He added that the shooting took place outside Loxford General Stores.
“We saw a few boys running around and heard screaming in the park. People were running around. It was chaos completely.”
He said the boy was known to his family.
“The bullet grazed him,” he continued.
“His two sisters were with him at the time and his mum was in the park.
“People were screaming and shouting.”
The 33-year-old has lived in the area all his life and said that he has noticed an increasing number of young males loitering in the vicinity.
“[These people] are hanging around causing trouble,” he said.
“There is drug dealing involved. It used to be nice. Hopefully it’s still nice because my mum and sister lives there.”
Det Ch Insp Simon Moring, from Trident, appealed to the public: “This shooting has left a man in a critical condition and endangered an innocent child.
“We would appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information to contact police immediately. Your call will be treated in complete confidence.”
No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
