London family appeals for information after toddler shot in head
This article titled “London family appeals for information after toddler shot in head” was written by Sarah Marsh, for The Guardian on Monday 15th June 2020 15.03 UTCA two-year-old boy who was shot in the head survived after the bullet missed a crucial artery by 1mm, his family have revealed, as they appealed for anyone with information on the shooting to come forward.
The toddler was one of four people, including his mother, who were shot in Energen Close, Harlesden, north-west London, on 3 June.
Detectives believe the attacker fired a handgun at a man in his late teens before shooting into a car containing the boy, his mother, another teenager, and two other children. He then fled on a motorbike.
The two-year-old was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and doctors told his family that the bullet had missed a crucial artery, which would have resulted in a fatal injury if damaged, by 1mm.
On Monday, the two-year-old boy’s grandmother, Lillian Serunkuma – who does not want to identify the child – said: “If you know the person responsible for this incident, you need to come forward and speak to the police. My grandson is two. He has never hurt anyone. The person who did this doesn’t deserve your protection or friendship.
“The gunman could clearly see that a woman and child were present in the car, and fired towards them without any regard for their safety, seriously hurting them both. My daughter has never hurt anyone and didn’t deserve to be shot multiple times protecting her child from harm.”
Serunkuma’s daughter and the two men were also taken to hospital with gunshot wounds, which were described as not life-threatening or life-changing.
DCI Pete Wallis said: “I am pleased to say the little boy injured is now, thankfully, starting to show signs that his condition is beginning to improve.
“This is a very welcome development for everyone on the investigation team and of course his family. However, it must not be forgotten that this little boy was shot in an act of indiscriminate violence.”
A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of four counts of attempted murder has been released under investigation, while a 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has been bailed. Three other men, aged 29, 23 and 36, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have all been released under investigation.
DCI Wallis added: “This little boy has spent more than a week fighting for his life and his family have been put through a great deal of trauma, so please, don’t think anything you may have seen that night is unimportant. Your information could be a vital part of our investigation.”
Serunkuma’s son, Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, was stabbed to death in an attack outside Capital City Academy in Willesden, west London, on 23 January 2017. She branded his then 15-year-old killer’s actions as “pure evil” in a statement read at the Old Bailey as he was locked up for at least 14 years after being found guilty of murder.
She wrote: “You never gave Quamari a second chance to defend himself. You took his life in a cold and malicious way.”
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