Ladbroke Grove shooting: Man arrested after shots fired 'directly into car' with girl, 8, and child, 2, inside

A 22-year-old man has been arrested after an eight-year-old girl and a man were seriously injured in a shooting in west London.

The incident on Southern Row in Ladbroke Grove involved a number of people in a vehicle - including a two-year-old child - just after 5.30pm on Sunday.

The eight-year-old girl remains in surgery and is in a serious but stable condition. The 34-year-old man is also in a serious but stable condition, with potentially life-changing injuries.

A 32-year-old woman who was also in the vehicle was taken to hospital as a precaution but was not hurt. The two-year-old was unharmed.

Police arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack and are appealing to the public for more information.

A witness described how the victims were targeted as they sat in a vehicle. She said a man was "shooting directly into a car".

Sharon, who did not want to give her surname, told the PA news agency: "He was firing directly, like at close range as if you're standing to open a door, they were shooting directly into it.

"I was completely in shock and I just ran back up the stairs because I was really scared. Then I looked and I heard screaming afterwards, and then people coming out to call the police."

Another witness, aged 64, who spoke to Metro, described the girl's mother shouting.

"I heard shots, and then a woman shouting, 'My baby, my baby's been shot'... it makes me sick to think about it now," they said.

"There were four or five shots, there was screaming, it's horrible. A neighbour went out with a duvet to cover the injured."

Superintendent Owen Renowden updated reporters at a news conference near the scene.

"The investigation is being led by detectives from the Specialist Crimes Command... to establish the circumstances surrounding what took place.

"Although the investigation is progressing at pace, I want to appeal today to anyone with information that may assist to come forward," he added.

A police cordon is in place at the north-western end of Southern Row.

A resident said he had previously witnessed "three shootings" in the area.

Muraad Haab, who did not see the attack on Sunday, said: "I've seen three shootings. Someone who was shooting their gun before, they shot my window."

Another resident, 60-year-old Lloyd Markham, said: "I've lived here about 25 years, and it seems like a really safe place to live, but now you start to hear about all these stabbings and shootings.

"It's very sad. Why fire a gun with kids around? How can you do that to someone?"

Local MP Joe Powell said in a statement on X: "These senseless acts of violence have no place on our streets.

"I know residents in the local community will be rightly concerned for their safety after several recent incidents in the neighbourhood.

"We must work together to better prevent these horrific crimes from happening, and hold those responsible to account," added the Labour politician, who represents Kensington and Bayswater.

The London Ambulance Service said in a statement: "The first of our crews arrived in six minutes.

"Our crews treated two patients at the scene, before [taking] them to a London major trauma centre as a priority."

(c) Sky News 2024: Ladbroke Grove shooting: Man arrested after shots fired 'directly into car' with girl, 8, and ch