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Amaan Shakoor

Age: 16

Sex: male

Date: 3 Apr 2018

Place: Kelmscott Leisure Centre, Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, London

Amaan Shakoor was shot in the head outside Kelmscott Leisure Centre on the night of 2 April 2018 at about 10pm.

He was approached by two hooded males outside the leisure centre in the dark and shot in the head. He was taken to hospital but died the following day at 5.45pm with his family at his bedside.

He had been standing about outside the leisure centre with three friends, including a 15-year-old at the time who was also injured, having been stabbed, and who was taken to hospital with what was described as non-life threatening but life changing injuries. The 15-year-old was soon after released from hospital, but his father said that he was 'lucky to be alive'. The 15-year-old's father said, 'My son said two guys in balaclavas got out of a white car. One of the guys shot and missed and then shot Amaan in the eye. My son has a two inch wound in his right arm. He lost a lot of blood, he is lucky to be alive'. He also said, 'The guy with a knife went for him, he could have been shot. The two attackers ran off. They got in a white car. We just don't know why it happened. He said a lad on a scooter kept on passing them earlier. It looked like he was carrying out reconnaissance'.

Amaan Shakoor's father said, 'There were four of them standing around outside the leisure centre and two people came up and attacked them out of nowhere. The first gun shot missed Amaan and they fired again and hit him in the left eye. They then stabbed his friend in his right arm, the wound was two inches deep. They had parked a car outside the gate as they were locked and it was quite dark. As they came closer they said nothing, they were wearing balaclavas and his friend could not see what they looked like at all, not even if they were black or white, they just came and started shooting, it happened out of nowhere'.

The police were called out at about 10pm following reports of two gunshots being heard.

Amaan Shakoor's post mortem examination stated that he died from gunshot injuries to the head.

The police said that they didn't think that his shooting was random and that it was the result of tensions between rival groups within which Amaan Shakoor was on the periphery.

His murder was also described as a case of mistaken identity in part of a gang war.

One witness said that the youths had warned Amaan Shakoor to stay off their patch before shooting him.

Another witness said, 'I saw two boys, hooded up, run past me, they didn't see me so I walked over. They must have run up to them, stabbed one in the arm and just shot the other in the face, then run off. I was helping the one who got stabbed because there was nothing I could do for the one who got shot. The stab victim was in shock because he saw his friend get shot in the face'. The witness added, 'It's like turf wars. Certain areas are controlled by certain groups and if you sell in an area that you shouldn’t, people get upset. They are just little hood-rats'.

Another 17-year-old that knew Amaan Shakoor said, 'They must have run up to them, stabbed one in the arm and faced the other one and just shot him in the face and run off'.

Two people were arrested in 2018, an 18-year old and a 19-year-old but they were both released without charge. Details are:

  1. 9 April 2018: 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder.
  2. 17 April 2018: 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder.

The police said that they thought that a number of people knew who was responsible. A detective said, 'There were other people there when Amaan was shot and I’ve no doubt that even people who weren’t there know who was responsible. I understand that in some circles, it is seen as a betrayal of trust to talk to the police. But I would say to those people, some of whom were close friends of Amaan, that not doing so is an even greater betrayal. It is only by individuals being brave enough to come forward and break the wall of silence that has existed around this case that we will get justice. My officers understand what it will take for you to do that and there are steps we can take to support you if you do. But we need you to make the first move'.

The police also said, 'It is our understanding that Amaan was on the periphery of activity linked to gangs, and we believe his death may be linked to this. It is important to talk about this element of the investigation, as we believe the key to solving his murder is held by those he may have had links with through gang activity, whether this was directly, or indirectly'.

The police said that the chief suspects were two teenage males. It was thought that they had come to the scene in a white car which was caught in a local CCTV system.

A 78-year-old woman that lived near Amaan Shakoor said, 'I have been to see the family. They are very, very sad. He is only 16. I would see him walking up and down the street. I have been seeing him since he was a kid. It is just such a waste of life. I have been here since 1969 and the violence has got worse'.

The murder was being investigated by the Metropolitan Police as well as the Trident and Area Crime Command.

Amaan Shakoor had attended Kelmscott School in Walthamstow.

The Kelmscott Leisure Centre is now called the Walthamstow Leisure Centre.


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