A man has been taken to hospital following a suspected shooting on a south-east London street, with police sealing off the scene on Thursday evening.
Officers were called to Frances Street in Woolwich after claims of gunfire were reported, arriving to find a man believed to be in his early 20s near a bus stop. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich for treatment.
Witnesses described a crime scene being set up on the street, with forensic officers expected to examine the area for evidence through the evening and into Friday morning.
It remains unclear whether the man was actually shot, and the Metropolitan Police have not yet confirmed the nature of his injuries. There has been no confirmed announcement of any arrests.
Unconfirmed reports
At this stage, the incident is being treated as a suspected shooting based on early witness accounts — police are careful with their language in the first hours of such incidents, and nothing is confirmed until officers have spoken to witnesses, reviewed CCTV and, in some cases, assessed medical evidence.
That is standard practice for the Met. Initial reports of gunfire are logged and responded to at pace, but the force will typically only describe an incident as a shooting once its own investigation has established that a firearm was discharged. Until then, terms like “suspected shooting” and “claims of gunfire” are deliberately used.
Residents can expect a visible police presence in the area while the scene is held. Road closures around Frances Street may remain in place into Friday as officers continue their work, and detectives are likely to appeal for anyone with information — or with dashcam or doorbell footage — to come forward.
What happens next
The Metropolitan Police and the London Ambulance Service were both contacted for comment. No statements had been issued by the time of publication, which is not unusual at this stage of an investigation.
Detectives investigating suspected firearms incidents will typically focus on establishing a timeline of what happened, identifying witnesses, and tracing the victim’s movements in the hours before the call came in. Firearms officers, rather than local response teams, often take a leading role once a gun is believed to have been involved.
The incident comes amid a renewed focus on gun crime in the capital. Just this week, a gun-running network was jailed after converting blank-firing weapons into live firearms, with 14 firearms seized by police. The Met has also been stepping up enforcement against violent crime across London, with 42 arrests in a recent fortnight-long crackdown targeting theft and violence.
It also lands at a difficult moment for the force, with a victim of serial sex offender David Carrick this week calling for the Commissioner’s resignation over the handling of her case — a reminder of the pressure the Met is under on public confidence.
Frances Street sits in the heart of Woolwich, a short distance from the town centre and the Elizabeth line station that has brought new footfall to the area in recent years. The street is lined with small shops and takeaways and is normally busy in the evening.
London Streets will update this story as soon as the Metropolitan Police issue a statement or any further details are confirmed.
Woolwich has seen significant regeneration around its town centre and the Royal Arsenal in recent years, but like many parts of south-east London it has also felt the effects of violent crime. Thursday evening’s incident will unsettle residents, particularly given it happened in a busy residential street with shops and bus stops nearby. Anyone who saw what happened, or who has information that could help, is urged to contact police on 101 — or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as they become available.
