Shooting Outside A Church Left A Girl In Serious Condition, Five People Injured

Following an alleged drive-by shooting outside a church in Euston, London, a seven-year-old girl is in a life-threatening condition. Four other women, another girl, and two other girls were also hurt in the incident.

The St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church on Phoenix Road was hosting a memorial service when police were called to a shooting at around 1.30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Metropolitan Police.

A 12-year-old girl who received treatment for minor leg injuries and was released from the hospital was one of the two kids who were hurt; the other, a seven-year-old girl, is still in serious condition.

In a hospital in the heart of London, there is also a woman, age 21. Her injuries, according to the police, were not potentially fatal.

Three women, ages 41, 48, and 54, are still being treated for non-life-threatening injuries in the hospital, however, the 48-year-injuries old’s may have a lasting impact, according to authorities.

Witnesses claim that before gunmen forced people to flee and scream outdoors, a service for a young woman who had died of leukemia was taking place inside the church.

“I heard the gunshots”, a resident of the estate across the street from the church remarked when asked to withhold her name.

“I was having a quiet day on my balcony and I heard this almighty bang and I thought this was not normal, and the next minute everyone was screaming and shouting.

“We have a food bank there and everyone was running off. Neighbours came in and said there has been a shooting. What a terrible thing.”

Father Jeremy Trood, who presided over the service, confirmed it was a Requiem Mass for Sara Sanchez, 20, and her mother, who both passed away in November within a month of one another. The police had initially described the event at the church as a funeral.

After her mother unexpectedly passed away from a rare blood clot upon arriving at Heathrow from Colombia, Ms. Sanchez battled leukaemia for three years before succumbing to the illness, according to MyLondon.

Father Trood said: “I was inside the church. I heard the bang and people ran back into the church. They knew something had happened outside.

“They were very scared, people sheltered in the church until the police said they can leave but some of them were so scared they had to wait a while to get their confidence back up to go outside.

“But I was in the church the whole time so I didn’t actually see what had happened.”

Sue, 54, a resident of the block next to the church who preferred not to give her last name, said the shooting victims were “lucky to get an ambulance” given the current crisis in the NHS.

She said: “I heard screaming going on but that is not unusual for around here. I heard shouting and I came out and saw the police and ambulances.

“It was probably a revenge thing, around here there is a lot of crime. It’s just getting worse, a lot of drug abuse. On this estate we have gangs hanging around on different corners.

“They must have caught the car on CCTV, round here it would got stuck in traffic.”

Met Superintendent Ed Wells said officers have not yet made any arrests, and appealed for any witnesses to contact police.

He said: “Any shooting incident is unacceptable, but for multiple people, including two children, to be injured in a shooting in the middle of a Saturday afternoon is shocking.

“Our thoughts are with all the victims, but in particular with the seven-year-old girl who is in a life threatening condition and with her family.

“An investigation into this dreadful attack is already well under way involving local officers and specialist detectives.

“I can assure the communities of Camden and beyond that we will do everything we possibly can to identify and bring to justice those who were responsible.

“Local residents can expect to see an increased visible police presence in the area through the weekend and into the days ahead as we progress this investigation.

“I would urge anyone with information to come forward, either to the police or anonymously, to Crimestoppers.”

Anyone with information about the attack should call 101, giving the reference 3357/14JAN.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he is in close contact with the Met to determine what happened, and expressed condolences to the families affected.

He said: “This is a deeply distressing incident and my thoughts are with those who were injured and their families.”