By Eric King And James Simons-
A teenager was shot in a fast food restaurant last night in a drug related incident, the eye of media.com has heard.
The 17-year-old victim was shot whilst in the Charcoal Grill Kebab restaurant in Wood Street, Walthamstow last night. Exclusive sources in the area told the eye of media.com that the incident was drug related, and gave us some details which we cannot disclose at this stage but will leave to the police to do their job.
Walthamstow in East London is one of the parts of London that is drug ridden and dogged by gang violence and drug wars over territotial rights to deal drugs. The area has had a number of killings and stabbings in the last year, but still does not rank as the most violent parts of London. The Kilburn and Harlsden area, as well as the Peckham area are currently one of the most dangerous areas in London to live in. One1 8 year old female student who attends Waltham Forest College, anonymously told the eye of media.com :
” the streets of Walthamstow is becoming dangerous and worrying for thos eof us who just want to go to college and concentrate with our work. The problem is that some of these ”hood rats”(slang for guetto gangsters) actually go to college, believe it or not, and you at times get their enemeies coming to the college to look for them. I am pretty sure the guy who got shot was set up, we heard it about drugs, but we are not saying he deals drugs”.
”The big time drug dealers don’t have time or the ambition for college, but you have some small time up and coming dealers who are registered for a course in college, she added. Those ones do their drug dealing at night time.Sometimes you have ‘bad boys’ who attend college, but in the evening time are kicking down doors where they hear drug dealers with money stay. Some of them set up dealers with their rivals because they expect a share from whatever they get in return. They never think of the come backs, they never think they will be found out, but it happens. The other day, I heard two guys talking, and one said ” you got a yard to lick,(rob) yeah? Where is it, how much money and drugs is there? They think they can go in someone’s house and rob £20 grand and get no repercussions. The guys on the streets these days are so stupid, it is shocking!”.
Another female also anonymously told the eye of media.com: ” its crazy how these guys live. They tell people where they can find their enemies, they don’t business[care] that it might lead to the person getting stabbed, shot, or killed. It is a crazy life teenagers live, but to be honest, I find it more exciting. I am studying a course here[Waltham Forest College], but at the moment, I always want to know what beef is going on between who and who. I find it interesting, especially when I know both parties or know of one or both of them”.
Another male, who also insisted on anonymity told the eye of media.com ” that’s what happens when you get involved in the big boys. You get burnt! I a’int saying nothing, but the drug game is dangerous, everyone knows that, but some people think they can handle it. Everybody is looking for quick cash, nobody thinks of quick death”, he said. That guy is lucky to be alive, hopefully he will recover soon. Other sources went into some detail about their understanding of the background of the shooting, yet none of them said they would be willing to talk to police. ”Do you work with the police”? One of them asked. ”Oh no, the police do their job and we do ours”, I replied.
All accounts is that this was a drug related incident, but this does not mean the victim was involved directly or indirectly in drugs. Sometimes, acquaintances of drug dealers are caught up in heavy disputes involving rivals, and sometimes third party acquaintances- people who are friends with an acquaitance of drug dealers or their associates. The eye of media.com has discovered in the course of our extensive researcher on drugs and drug dealers in theLondon and many parts of the country, that even individuals with a distant affiliation to drug dealers or their friends dost times become victims of gang violence that has its roots in drug dealling. It is a sad and dangerous state of affairs, but is up to individuals to choose their friends very carefully.
Police cordoned off the area around Charcoal Grill kebab, Wood Street Opticians as well as the Coral betting shop opposite Wood Street Plaza.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police told the eye of media.com:
“Police were called at 22.25hrs on Monday, November 20 to reports of shots fired at a fast food restaurant in Wood Street E17.
“Officers including firearms officers and London Ambulance Service attended.
“A 17-year-old boy was found suffering from gunshot injuries.
“He was taken to an east London hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
“His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Thankfully, at least this gun victim will survive.