Michael Prince was outside Peckham Library when a man was gunned “in the leg” at around 6.45pm yesterday (November 5).
The 26-year-old victim was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after escaping into a nearby shop.
Michael said: “I was standing there, there was a group congregated, chilling out, relaxing, smoking, you know how they do.
“And a guy ended up getting shot.
LIVE as crime scene in place after shooting outside south east London library
“The bullet licked him straight in his leg – it was a hard shot.
“As soon as it licked him, it’s like you saw a piece of flesh just fly out of his leg.
“I thought it was a paintball shot at first, because the way it splattered his leg, I thought ‘was that a real shot?’
“And then boom, obviously he’s leaking, he’s bleeding, but he’s done the smartest thing in order to save his life.
“He kept moving.
“The guy was coming over to him, looking to get the body shot, looking to get the end shot.
“And this guy jumped up, he got shot in his leg, fell on the floor, got up, rolled, and he was going back over that thing there [a seating area near the scene], and he literally flipped over it.
“I thought, did he get shot again? But he flipped over it, not looking, and then carried on ducking, went all the way around, and went into Filishack, which is the food shop just here.”
Man, 26, in serious condition after shooting outside south east London library
Filishack was closed today and guarded by an officer. A bundle of bloody towels are visible through the window.
Michael was shocked at the shooting happening in a busy public place, surrounded by witnesses.
He said: “I thought these guys are ridiculous, a man is just getting shot in the middle of Peckham.
“To shoot someone right there, basically in broad daylight, it was just getting dark and with so many cameras – I thought that was a stupid thing to do.”
Michael described “a new crowd of people” causing trouble in the area.
He said: “There’s a new crowd of people that’s coming around.
GALLERY: Huge police presence with officers on hands and knees after Peckham shooting
“New people, they’re not from Peckham. We don’t even know where they’re from.
“They come around here and they’re doing badness.”
He added: “It’s normally calm and peaceful, it’s normally really quiet, like really a community kind of area.
“Everyone sticks together and chills out, and gets along. They play music around here, so that’s a good vibe.”
He said that locals in “shock” about the incident.
He added: “Everyone’s like, wow, someone just got shot there like that. You can’t believe it.
“Hopefully the guy makes it, he had a lot of heart in him, he had a lot of fight in him, the way he got up and kept moving. So I think God’s going to give him another chance.”
The shooting happened on Bonfire Night, and many people who heard the shooting assumed it was more fireworks.
May was working nearby at Abbeville internet cafe at the time, when she heard three or four popping sounds.
She said: “It was quite loud. I thought it was like fireworks. And then when I went outside they said, shooting.
“I just heard popping and then while I was sweeping police were covering the area with tape.
“I thought it was a stabbing, because stabbings are usually happening.
“But when they said shooting, I was like, wow. I’ve never known something like this to happen.”
There have been no arrests.
A forensic investigation is ongoing with a cordon in place outside Peckham Library, expected to remain for some time.
A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 6.38pm on Wednesday 5 November to reports of a shooting on Peckham Hill Street, SE15.
“We sent resources, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and a paramedic in a fast response car.
“We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.
“We treated a man for a gunshot wound and took him a major trauma centre.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called at 18:41hrs on Wednesday, 5 November to Peckham Hill Street, Southwark to reports of a shooting.
“Officers attended, along with the London Ambulance Service, and a 26-year-old man was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
“It is not believed to be life-threatening.
“No arrests have been made at this stage and a crime scene remains in place.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or online, quoting 6590/5NOV.”
