Ladbroke Grove: Boy, 15, shot dead in park named as Rene Graham

Picture credits, Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police have shared an image on their social media page.

15-year-old Rene Graham passed away after being shot in a park.

BBC News' correspondent covering issues related to domestic matters

A 15-year-old boy named Rene Graham was killed by gunfire in a park in west London.

Emergency responders were asked to go to Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park in Ladbroke Grove around 7:20 PM on Sunday.

Residents from the area mentioned that there was a children's event happening before the carnival.

Four males, two who are 21 years old and the other two who are 20 and 25 years old, have been taken into custody on suspicion of committing murder. They are currently being detained.

According to the Metropolitan Police, there were no additional injuries reported.

Det Ch Supt Christina Jessah stated: "I realize that the community, particularly those residing and working in the vicinity, will be taken aback and anxious about this occurrence.

Everyone at the Met is worried about this and we are using all available resources to find out who was involved.

Cristina Cortinas, who lives in the area, called the shooting a "sad event."

People who live in the area are feeling very surprised, unsure, and scared because of recent events. In particular, parents are expressing concern and have mentioned that they will be increasing their safety measures in response.

Cristina Cortinas, a 40-year-old resident of the neighborhood, shared with BBC London that the shooting was a "tragic event" and "truly upsetting for the local community".

"A young child has passed away," she stated.

I have two little kids, and I worry about what lies ahead for them in our neighborhood.

"We are a close-knit group and we are all feeling really upset."

Elizabeth Campbell, the leader of the Conservative party in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, expressed that she cannot fathom the pain and suffering that the victims' loved ones are experiencing.

A lot of people will understandably be concerned about the extremely violent incident taking place in our community," she said.

I'm happy to have received news from our police teams that there will be a noticeable increase in police presence in the upcoming days.

The council mentioned that Emslie Horniman's Pleasance park is probably going to stay shut all day.

Around 20 police officers are currently posted around the area where the crime occurred, and the forensics team is still conducting their investigations.

Joe Powell, member of parliament representing Kensington and Bayswater, called the shooting "extremely distressing information".

He wrote on X, an external platform: "I am keeping his family in my thoughts. These unnecessary acts of violence need to come to an end."

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic news of a 15-year-old boy losing his life in Ladbroke Grove.

I am staying in touch with the Met Police regularly as they work tirelessly to investigate this terrible incident.

The police will be highly visible in the neighborhood to offer comfort and assistance to residents, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Deadly shootings in London are not as frequent as stabbings, but there have been six cases of murder with guns this year. Three of these shootings have occurred in the past six weeks.

The Met announced that the number of guns being fired was the lowest it had been in 15 years.

However, several well-known incidents, such as a shooting that occurred in Dalston in May, resulting in a nine-year-old girl being critically injured, have sparked significant worry among the public.

The victim of the recent shooting was very young, only 15 years old. It is concerning that he was attacked before a children's pre-carnival event, highlighting concerns about the safety of young people as schools close for the summer.

The Metropolitan Police initially reported that six men were taken into custody, but later corrected the number to four arrests.

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