A teenager has been arrested in connection with the shooting of 5-year-old Thusha Kamaleswaran in Brixton, South London, on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old man has been detained in connection with a suspected gang shooting which saw the 5-year-old and another man caught in the crossfire as youths fired shots into a grocery shop.
Police confirmed that a man has been arrested.
“Trident detectives investigating a shooting in Stockwell that left a five-year-old girl and a 35-year-old man critically injured have arrested a man this afternoon, Thursday March 31,” a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.
“The 19-year-old man was arrested in south London and is currently in custody at a south London police station whilst inquiries continue.”
The arrest came after a teenager targeted by gangsters came out of hiding and offered to help the police.
Crimestoppers is offering a £50,000 reward to help trace three men who cycled off after the botched shooting.
Gun victim Thusha remains in hospital and is in critical but stable condition. She has had three emergency operations to keep her alive.
Thusha’s relatives have not left her bedside.
The second victim – Roshan Selvakumar, a 35-year-old employee at the Stockwell Food and Wine Shop owned by Thusha’s uncle – was shot in the face and is also in a critical condition.
Det Chief Insp Tony Boughton said of both victims: “Although their injuries are very serious they are both under the circumstances doing very well.”
Thusha is believed to be London’s youngest gun crime victim. She was hit in the chest as two teenagers cowered in the store after being chased by three other youths on bicycles.
Police presence has been increased around Stockwell, where the shooting took place. According to reports, up to 50 gangs operate in South London.
