This is the first picture of a “very bright” schoolboy who was shot dead by gunmen on a moped dressed as Deliveroo drivers.
Lathaniel Burrell’s family said the 16-year-old boy had been targeted in broad daylight close to Stockwell Tube station in south London on Tuesday afternoon.
Metropolitan Police officers were called to Paradise Road at 3.21pm, alongside paramedics, but the boy’s life could not be saved.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have yet been made.
Relatives who attended the scene to lay flowers on Wednesday confirmed to reporters his first name was Lathaniel.
A man who said he was the boy’s uncle, who asked not to be named, claimed the gunmen posed as food delivery drivers.
He said: “They came on a moped dressed as Deliveroo drivers.”
An eyewitness told BBC London two boys came down the stairs at a block of flats when the moped driver took out a gun and shot the teenager. The other boy ran away, and the driver sped off, they added.
The witness claimed Lathaniel was well known in the area and involved in gangs.
Other relatives, who declined to give their names, described him as a Manchester United fan who enjoyed playing Playstation 5, and had one sibling, a sister.
A resident, who said she knew the boy’s mother, said Lathaniel was “very bright at school” and said his father worked at a nearby go-karting facility.
“He is great at looking after this community,” said the woman.
Scotland Yard said it was working at pace to confirm the boy’s identity and trace his next-of-kin.
Superintendent Gabriel Cameron, who is leading the local policing response, said: “This is an enormously shocking incident which I imagine will cause huge distress to the local community.
“Our thoughts are with the young boy’s family at this devastating time.
“Local officers are on the scene gathering CCTV and speaking to witnesses to piece together what has happened. They will be supported by specialist homicide investigators shortly.
“Please rest assured we will work around the clock to identify and find those responsible.”
Aftab Khan, 18, who runs a corner shop near the road where the incident took place, said the teenager often came into the store and described him as a “nice kid.”
He told The Telegraph: “He would always say hello. I saw him yesterday – he bought a bottle of Fanta. He would always pay me back if I let him have a drink for free if he didn't have enough money. He was a good guy.
“Now I can't go outside – I'm scared. It's a very bad area.”
A Stockwell resident told MyLondon that she had been “shocked to the core” that such an incident could happen to a child in the area.
“Stockwell has always had crimes like phone theft, but overall it’s a friendly area,” she told the newspaper.
“It's terrible to think of what his family is going through. It's so wrong that teenagers should worry about things like this when they should be enjoying their childhood.”
The death was described as a “life wasted” by Florence Eshalomi, the MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green.
She also said she was “very sad” to hear of the fatal shooting.
A crime scene and cordons remain in place, with several police cars and officers stationed nearby.
Another resident who knew Lathaniel said she was distressed to hear the news, saying that her own son had also died in a stabbing a few years ago.
And a young woman who lives nearby said: “This area is not safe at night. There are a lot of teenage boys that cause a lot of trouble who live around here.
“They hang around at night, play around with the cops. Things like playing with fireworks and running from the police. But it can get serious. Someone I know got stabbed some time last year.
“I think about where the cameras are when I am walking at night, but there are no cameras in that area (of the shooting).
Speaking about the shooting, she said the attackers had “no shame as well, there is a primary school next door”.
An older resident who lives nearby said: “This area hasn’t been like this since the 80s.”
Adrian Lindo, 50, who lives nearby, said “I would have thought that the younger generation would have learnt about what has happened in this area in the past.
“They have to learn from the previous generations. My commiserations to the family.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan added: “My thoughts are with the family, friends and wider community in Stockwell following the shocking fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy.
"This abhorrent violence has absolutely no place in our city. I am in close contact with police leaders – an investigation is underway to find those responsible and local residents will see increased patrols in the local area.”
A Lambeth Council statement said: “We’re devastated to hear that a teenage boy has been shot in Stockwell today.”
A crime scene remains in place while specialist detectives carry out their investigations.
Witnesses are being urged to contact police on 101 with the reference 4116/4MAR.
You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 if you want to remain anonymous.
