00:01:03
ITN
Schoolboy shot dead in bed
Schoolboy shot dead in bed
A schoolboy shot dead in gangland-style killing as he slept in his own bed may have been mistaken for someone else, police have said.The boy, who turned 15 on Sunday, was shot by intruders at the family home in Diamond Street, Peckham, south London. His sister tried to administer first aid before he died.Police believe he was the victim of a "targeted attack" but officers from Scotland Yard's Operation Trident team, which investigates gun crime in the black community, have not found any link between the boy and local gangs and believe it could be a case of mistaken identity.Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson, who is leading the investigation, said: "We believe the boy went to bed at around midnight. At this point we assume the suspects forced entry into the house. The boy was shot while he was in bed."The only description we have at present is two men aged in their late teens or early 20s running along nearby Chandler Way. We are unable to confirm whether they were black or white."We are talking to the sister, but she is understandably very distressed. However we will continue to speak to her to try and find out more detail as to exactly what has happened."He added: "The boy was not known to police before this incident and we are not linking this to gangs or any other incidents which have occurred in the past few days."This does not appear to have been a botched burglary. I believe these premises were specifically targeted."The teenager was a regular at the Celestial Church of Christ, in nearby Bird In Bush Road, and attended St Michael's Secondary School, in Bermondsey.Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | February 7, 2007
