Two men were killed and four people wounded today as violence swept across London on Remembrance Sunday.
In two separate incidents, the men died from gunshot and knife injuries in south London this morning just moments before the nation observed the two minutes silence.
The ordeals marked a shameful day of violence in the capital as four more people involved in the attacks were left hospitalised from their injuries.
Officers are frantically searching for the gunman who shot dead one man and injured two others – including a woman – at 10.10am in Sydenham, south-east London.
The woman is being treated for gunshot injuries to her legs while doctors are working to establish the condition of the man.
A frightened neighbour said she saw a large group of young men running from the flat seconds after hearing a gunshot as one man shouted, ‘dead, dead’.
She said: ‘They were mostly men. Some got into cars and drove off quickly down the road but some of them went on foot in the opposite direction towards the park.
Sunday morning’s triple stabbings happened by a street market in south London
Veterans line up as they attend the Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph in London today
Poilice and forensics officers were on the scene in Walworth, south London, on Sunday morning
Officers were called at about 10.40am on Sunday to reports of people being stabbed
‘They all looked scared. There was one man in particular who was very angry and shouting at everyone before he walked off quickly on his own.
‘I heard the shouting but all I could make out was the word ”dead, dead”.’
After the cars sped off, thought to be Mercedes, a young woman around the age of 18 came out of the flat and collapsed on the road where she received treatment from paramedics.
Just half an hour later, just six miles away, a man thought to be in his 60s launched an unprovoked attack which killed one while shoppers were enjoying a market stall in Walworth.
He also wounded two other men who were taken to hospital.
Shop worker Wasim Hussain said market traders wrestled him to the ground and waited for police to arrive who arrested him.
He told The Sun: ‘They just put him down, and they waited for the police.
‘It was the general public – they work in the market, most of them.’
The police have ruled out terrorism as a motive and are now working on notifying the family of the deceased.
Traumatised witnesses at the market have recounted the ordeal following the triple stabbing.
One told MyLondon: ‘When I arrived, the cordon was already in place, and everyone who visits the market regularly, including my partner and me, couldn’t believe what had happened.
‘It’s a very busy market, especially on weekends. I know stabbings happen every day in London but experiencing it close to home is frightening.’
Commander Peter Stevens of the Metropolitan Police condemned the shooting as a ‘senseless act of violence’.
He added: ‘I know people will be shocked by this senseless act of violence, all the more so on a Sunday morning in a residential area.
‘I share their concerns and can assure the local community that the Met’s response, alongside our partners, has been rapid.’
Police were called to Sydenham, South East London, at around 10.10am today where a man died at the scene after being shot
A woman was also found suffering gunshot injuries to her legs and was taken to hospital, but her condition is not life-threatening
Another person attended hospital with what are believed to be gunshot injuries but they are currently waiting for a condition assessment
Police investigating the stabbings in Walworth say it is not being treated as terrorism
Commander Peter Stevens, from the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘Tragically, a man lost his life this morning, and officers are working hard to establish exactly what happened’
On Sunday night specialist forensic officers were scouring the pavement outside of a block of flats on Wells Park Road for gunshot residue and bullet casings.
While in Walworth a police cordon remained in place around the popular market.
A local father was walking towards the market when he saw the two injured victims lying on the pavement as police and ambulances rushed past.
Siraj, 46, said it was a ‘terrifying’ experience which left him feeling unsafe and too ‘scared to take his children to school’.
Speaking about the stabbing, Commander Stevens added: ‘Our investigation is at a very early stage. One man was rapidly arrested by officers responding to the incident. At present, although enquiries are ongoing, nobody else is sought.
‘The incident is not being treated as terrorism.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called today at 10.39am to reports of a stabbing in East Street, SE17.
‘We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, members of our tactical response unit, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer, and London’s air ambulance.
‘We treated three people and took two of them to a London Major trauma centre. Sadly, despite our best efforts, one person was pronounced dead at the scene.’
