Everything we know about the Clapham moped shooting

Dramatic photos of the scene show the moped in question lying across the pavement and a bullet hole through the window of the pub

Athena Stavrou
Saturday 02 March 2024 10:48 GMT
Residents in south west London were horrified after a man opened fire near Clapham Common during rush hour
Residents in south west London were horrified after a man opened fire near Clapham Common during rush hour (Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

Residents in southwest London were horrified after a man opened fire near Clapham Common during rush hour.

Police are still searching for the gunman after three people were injured and taken to hospital as a result of the incident.

Two men being chased by the police fell off their moped before opening fire as police officers and ambulances swarmed the high street after of reports of a shooting outside The Belle Vue pub.

Dramatic photos of the scene show the moped in question lying across the pavement and a bullet hole through the window of the pub.

The Met Police said that crime scene is in place and urgent enquiries are ongoing while firearms officers continue searching the area.

As the search for the shooter continues, here’s everything we know about the Clapham shooting:

The Met Police said that crime scene is in place and urgent enquiries are ongoing while firearms officers continue searching the area (Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

When and where did the shooting happen?

The shooting happened just before 5pm on Friday as police were in pursuit of a moped that failed to stop.

The force and multiple witnesses described how a weapon, believed the be a shotgun, wasdischarged from the moped in the vicinity of Clapham Common South Side.

Pictures from the scene appear to show a bullet hole through the window of the Belle Bue pub in Clapham Common as the suspect’s moped was left abandoned across the road.

The incident happened near the busy Clapham Common station, with one witness revealing that she was nearly struck by the motorbike as it careered onto the pavement as she got off at Clapham Common Tube station.

Sian Cole told The Independent: “It was very scary due to it being rush hour and there were so many people present at the scene. I was walking and the motorbike just crashed right in front of me.”

How did the shooting unfold?

The incident began as police had been chasing the moped with two men on it after it failed to stop in the Clapham area just before 5pm on Friday.

Witnesses reported the two men falling from their moped before running away on foot towards Brixton.

As the suspects fled the scene, one withdrew a weapon, believed to be a shotgun, and discharged it. Witnesses told The Independent that the shooters were aiming behind them.

Three people were injured - two by shotgun pellets and another by the moped - and a nearby pub also appeared to have suffered damage from a bullet.

Pictures from the scene appear to show a bullet hole through the window of the Belle Bue pub in Clapham Common (Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

The suspects fled the scene and officers recovered a gun nearby.

Who were the casualties?

Two people were injured by shotgun pellet wounds and another by the moped in the incident.

A witness told The Independent that a woman was hit in the leg and added: “I didn’t see blood but I saw her touching her leg in pain. The other victims I’m not so sure of.

“They must’ve been trying to shoot at the police officer behind them but ended up hitting bystanders.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said three people were injured, with two taken to a major trauma centre.

He said: “We were called today at 4.59pm to reports of an incident in Clapham Common South Side.

“We sent a number of resources including ambulance crews, operational managers, advanced paramedics and London’s air ambulance.

“We treated three people at the scene and took two to a London major trauma centre and one to hospital.

It is not believed that any of the injuries sustained are life-threatening.

A forensic officer holding the stock of a shotgun at the scene (Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

What do we know about the suspect so far?

The suspects are still at large and there is not much information on their identities as of yet.

The moped they were riding is untaxed, official registration records show.

One witness said the men were wearing all black clothes and quickly dropped the weapon before fleeing the busy high street.

Police are urging anyone who saw the moped, or captured the incident on dash cam, to call 101 ref CAD 5008/1 Mar.

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