Shot youth 'tried to escape gunman'

A teenager was shot dead as he ran through a housing estate trying to escape a gunman, neighbours said.

The 17-year-old victim died in a stairwell at Heron House in Peckham, south east London, on Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses said the dead teenager was seen desperately banging on the closed door of one eighth-floor flat before the fatal shot rang out.

Samba Koroma, 40, a cleaning manager, said: “He ran into the building. He was knocking on that door for somebody to open up but nobody opened the door.

“I don’t know whether the boy knew the couple (who live there). He ran down the stairs and I think that’s when he got shot.”

Two other teenagers, one aged 17 and another 18, suffered stab wounds as a group of young men ran amok on the estate. The 17-year-old was found at a flat in the nearby Gannet House block. He was taken to hospital where his condition was described as stable, while the other victim has since been discharged.

Three male suspects, all believed to be aged in their teens, were arrested at the scene and are being questioned at south London police stations.

Detectives from Scotland Yard’s Trident unit are investigating whether the murder and stabbings took place during a clash between rival gangs. Police sealed off several areas on the estate as officers in forensic suits searched bushes and open ground.

Residents said violence linked to notorious gangs had surged on the Pelican Estate in recent months.

Residents described Heron House as a magnet for trouble. One said: “They are out of control at Heron House. It’s not a nice place to pass.”

A mother-of-two who lives on the estate said: “I think it’s pathetic. I keep my son indoors and he is 18. There’s too much going on on the streets. It’s not safe here at all.”