Man arrested over London teenager shooting
A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Tanesha Mel- bourne, who was shot dead in Tottenham on Monday amid an alarming series of murders in London.
The 17-year-old was killed in a drive-by attack as she sat chatting with friends. Her death shocked the capital, which has experienced a rising wave of violent crime with the number of suspected murders in March higher than that of New York.
The Metropolitan Police said yesterday a man had been arrested in Hackney on suspicion of murder and was being held in custody.
Police were called to Chalgrove Road at 9:35pm on Monday following reports of gunshots. Paramedics battled for an hour to save Ms Melbourne’s life, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Just 30 minutes later, Amaan Shakoor, 16, was shot in Walthamstow and died in hospital the following day.
Officers said at this stage there is no suggestion the two killings are linked.
Detective Inspector Beverley Kofi said: “We are appealing to anybody who witnessed the incident and has not yet come forward, or who in the hours since this shocking murder are privy to information that could help us find those responsible.”
It emerged on Thursday the Met had opened 55 murder investigations in London this year.
There were six non-fatal stabbings from Thursday night into yesterday morning in the capital.
The pressure on murder detectives is now so great Scotland Yard has enlisted the support of City of London police to help cope with the case load.
The latest stabbings came as protesters rallied in Hackney to call for an end to gang violence, close to where 18-year-old Israel Ogunsola was stabbed to death on Wednesday evening.