A triple shooting which left one woman dead and a man in critical condition “sounded like fireworks” and left people in the street “crying and screaming”, neighbours said.
Police were called at around 9.15pm on Saturday night to Gifford Road, Brent, where a woman, believed to be in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two men, both in their 30s were also injured.
One is in hospital in a critical condition while the second man’s injuries are non-life threatening, the Metropolitan Police said.
A local resident, who did not want to give his name, was in a nearby church when he heard about the shooting.
He said: “I looked outside and it was pandemonium.”
A woman who lives in the road said her daughter had come home just 10 minutes before the shooting.
The woman added the female victim did not live in the area.
She said: “My daughter came though the door 10 minutes before it happened.
“My son thought there were fireworks, then I heard my neighbour screaming and I realised there was a shooting.
“It’s crazy, it’s sad. It’s scary, it does not feel safe.
“I’ve lived here since 2008 and I’ve never heard anything like this before.”
A neighbour, who lives in the road and did not want to be named, said: “We heard the shooting sound and we thought it was fireworks, we didn’t expect there would be a gun here.
“People came out of the church, they were at a wake and they saw the bodies on the ground.
“I heard a lot of crying and screaming.”
Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said they heard five gun shots in quick succession on Saturday night.
A cordon was in place at the junction of Gifford Road and Creukhorne Road on Sunday morning with several uniformed and forensic officers posted at the scene.
Superintendent Tony Josephs, from the North West Command Unit which covers Brent, said: “This is a truly shocking incident and I understand the concern this will cause the local community and those across London.
“I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night and identify whoever was responsible for this heinous act of violence.
“If you were in or around Gifford Close at the time of the shooting, or have any information about who was responsible, please get in contact with us.
“A family has been left devastated and we need to work together to provide them with answers.”
No arrests have been made and inquiries continue.
