Woman hit in London drive-by shooting was not intended target, police say

A woman who was caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting in north London on Tuesday evening was not the intended target, police have said, as they appeal for witnesses.

Footage shows the moment the 38-year-old woman was shot in the leg in Reizel Close, Stamford Hill, at about 7.40pm on Tuesday. The woman was later taken to an east London hospital where her condition was assessed as non-life-threatening, police said.

Video footage from MailOnline shows the woman walking along the pavement before falling, as traffic passes and passersby run to her aid.

“We are working hard to establish the full circumstance surrounding this incident and after initial inquiries we do not believe that the victim was the intended target,” said Det Insp Dave Hickford of the Met’s specialist crime command.

“I urge anyone with information to get in touch without delay, help us take dangerous criminals off your streets.”

The local policing lead for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, James Conway, called the incident “extremely concerning” and illustrative of the “indiscriminate” danger of gun crime.

“I urge anyone with information about this incident to contact my local officers or our colleagues in Specialist Crime who are leading the investigation,” he said.

No arrests have been made and officers are not treating it as a hate crime. Police are appealing for witnesses and video footage of the incident.

Incidents involving firearms in 2023 saw a 13% increase to 6,645 offences in the year ending June 2023 from the previous year, according to government statistics. In the year ending March 2023, there were 29 homicide victims killed by shooting in England and Wales, one more than in the previous year.