Detectives have opened a murder investigation after a 40-year-old man died following a shooting in East Acton during a memorial gathering.
Police were called at 7.47pm on Friday 2 October after members of the public reported hearing multiple shots at the junction of Braybrook Street and Erconwald Street. Officers and paramedics attended, and the man was treated at the scene before being pronounced dead.
His family have been told and are being supported by specialist officers. The man has not been publicly identified. A post-mortem examination is due to establish the medical cause of death; investigators said they believed he had sustained a gunshot wound.
Inquiry begins as scene remains in place
The murder inquiry is at an early stage. No arrests had been made when the investigation was announced, and a crime scene remained in place on Braybrook Street. Detectives said they were working to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
The shooting happened while a memorial service was under way nearby. Investigators said they believed between 40 and 50 people, including children, were present. That means potential information may be held not only by people who saw the incident directly, but by anyone who noticed activity in the area before or afterwards.
At this point, the public information does not establish who was responsible or a motive. The investigation will need to assess evidence from the scene, accounts from those present and any available recordings before those questions can be answered. The fact that a murder inquiry has begun is an indication of the seriousness with which the death is being treated; it is not a finding about any individual.
Appeal focuses on the surrounding streets
Officers are asking people to think back to the period between 6pm and 8pm on Friday. The appeal covers Erconwald Street, Braybrook Street, surrounding roads and the area around Wormwood Scrubs playground.
Officers specifically want to hear from anyone who saw people carrying or concealing weapons, people on bicycles acting suspiciously, or vehicles being driven at speed. Detectives are also seeking photographs, mobile-phone video, doorbell-camera clips, dashcam footage and material that may have been shared online.
People with information can contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 7011/2Oct, or use the force’s major-incident reporting route. Information can also be passed anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers. The appeal is intended to gather details from the wider area as well as from people who witnessed the shooting itself.
A careful next stage
The immediate priority is to establish a reliable account of events and identify those responsible. That work may involve forensic examination, witness statements and a review of video from the local area. The announcement does not set out a timetable for those steps, and it would be wrong to draw conclusions before the evidence has been tested.
For residents, the continuing scene and appeal are a visible sign that the inquiry remains active. For the man’s family and others affected by the gathering, specialist support has been put in place. The investigation is likely to depend on people coming forward with information, including details they may not initially consider significant.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators promptly. The appeal is not limited to people who witnessed the shooting itself: a sighting, a journey through the area, or unedited footage from the relevant two-hour period could help detectives build a clearer picture of the events in East Acton.
