A mother has pleaded for an end to the bloodshed in London after her teenage son was shot dead in another wave of violent crime in the capital.
Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, 17, was killed and three other people were shot over the weekend.
In Wealdstone, north-west London, two boys aged 13 and 15 sustained head injuries, and in Lewisham, in the south of the capital, a 22-year-old was shot. None have life-threatening injuries.
A 43-year-old man was stabbed in Perivale, north-west London, on Sunday and two men and a boy were taken to hospital after an acid attack in Hackney, east London.
Rhyhiem’s mother, Pretana Morgan, called for the violence to end. “Let my son be the last and be an example to everyone,” she said. “Just let it stop. What must be, must be.
“It’s not about race, it’s not about nation, it’s not about culture. Nothing. It’s just a human race. Just one human race. So children, please let my son be the last.”
She said her son was not in a gang and he had been “trying to make a difference” by learning to work with children. He was also an aspiring architect and had “so much potential”, Morgan said.
Paramedics and police were called to reports of gunshots on Cook’s Road in Kennington, south London, just after 6pm on Saturday. Rhyhiem was found on nearby Warham Street with a gunshot injury.
His death is the latest in a spate of violent crimes in the capital. Police are investigating more than 60 alleged murders since the start of the year.
In Wealdstone, the 13-year-old hit by shotgun pellets is being treated by police as an innocent bystander who was walking with his parents when he was struck by shots aimed at the 15-year-old victim.
Sadiq Khan, who has faced criticism from some for the increase in violence since he became London mayor, tweeted that he was “doing all I can to compensate for the failure of government ministers” on the issue.
I refuse to accept that nothing can be done to stem the appalling rise of violent crime we are seeing across the country. Together with the police, community groups, victims and their families and Londoners, City Hall will continue to work ceaselessly to tackle violent crime.
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) May 7, 2018
As Mayor I’m doing all I can to compensate for the failure of Government ministers, investing an extra £110m in the Met to keep police numbers as high as possible. We've also created the £45m Young Londoners Fund to help tackle the causes of violent crime. https://t.co/epulImPaGn
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) May 7, 2018
Last month, in one of her last actions as home secretary, Amber Rudd launched a serious violence strategy to clamp down on violent crime, which has been rising since 2014.
The strategy is to be backed by £40m of Home Office funding and a new offensive weapons bill to ban the sale of corrosive liquids to under-18s and introduce tougher restrictions on buying knives online. It will focus heavily on the links between illegal drug markets, particularly for crack cocaine, and violent crime.
The strategy was launched amid controversy over the potential link between dwindling police numbers and the rise in violence.
The new home secretary, Sajid Javid, wrote on Twitter: “Appalling to hear about children being killed and injured on our streets this bank holiday. Serious violence is robbing too many young people of their futures. I will work with anyone determined to tackle it.”
Appalling to hear about children being killed and injured on our streets this Bank Holiday. Serious violence is robbing too many young people of their futures. I will work with anyone determined to tackle it
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) May 7, 2018
Police said extra patrols would be working on bank holiday Monday to keep the capital’s streets safe.
DCS Simon Messinger said officers were using search powers to seize knives and to stop cars carrying weapons.
