Lathaniel Burrell Named as Stockwell Shooting Victim by Met Police

A 16-year-old boy died in Stockwell. Locals said his name was Lathaniel, and that he was a bright student. The police received a call about a shooting that happened Tuesday at 3:21 p.m. on Paradise Road, in Stockwell, South London.

Paramedics tried to help the boy, but he died at the scene. On Wednesday, relatives laid flowers and confirmed his first name was Lathaniel. His uncle said the gunmen acted as delivery drivers, riding a moped while dressed as Deliveroo workers.

Police have not arrested anyone yet. Relatives said he liked Manchester United and enjoyed playing Playstation 5. Lathaniel had one sister, and a neighbor who knew his mom said he was very smart in school. His father worked at a go-kart place. The police still have a crime scene set up, with many police cars and officers present.

Another neighbor who knew Lathaniel felt very upset about the news, as her own son died in a stabbing before. A young woman living nearby said the area feels unsafe at night, with teen boys causing problems by hanging out late and playing with the police. An older neighbor said the area is like the 1980s now.

Adrian Lindo, a local resident, hoped younger people learned from history. Florence Eshalomi, a local MP, called the death a “life wasted.” This is London’s first fatal shooting this year, following thirteen shootings in 2023.

Police recorded 105 homicides for 2023, with guns involved in most killings. Ten out of 104 homicides in 2022 were fatal shootings. Teenage homicides have recently changed in numbers, with twelve teens dying in 2023 and fourteen in 2022. Thirty died in 2021, when police recorded 134 homicides that year, and shootings are less common than stabbings.

Recently, there was an amnesty for guns, allowing criminals to change blank-firing guns to fire real bullets. People turned in many guns—over 1,000—which were made in Turkey and could be changed quickly, taking around 20 minutes.