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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today reiterated that one death is one too many and committed to continuing to tackle violence and its complex causes, as early figures show that London recorded the fewest number of homicides across June, July and August since 2018. The Mayor has vowed to continue building on the hard work to tackle violence across the capital and hailed the impact of his London Violence Reduction Unit and the hard work of the Met Police,
Thanks to the efforts of the thousands of hardworking Met officers and staff, our sustained crackdown on violent crime is working. Homicide is at a 10-year low, violent incidents in which people are injured are down by a fifth - proportionally lower than any other UK city - and firearms discharges are less than half the level they were seven years ago. That's because we're proactively targeting dangerous offenders and dismantling organised crime groups, while safeguarding those at risk of exploitation. As a result, less people are being killed and injured and our city is safer. We're not complacent and we will never stop the fight against serious violence. One senseless death is one too many.
A tragic incident unfolded in a Queens apartment when a 15-year-old boy accidentally shot his 14-year-old friend while displaying a stolen gun, leading to his arrest for manslaughter.
"To Luluzinho, Mikazz was God, states Portuguese prosecutor Felismina Carvalho Franco in the indictment filed this month. He became his mentor, supporting and encouraging violent acts."
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of gun violence affecting youth in the Bronx, with another teenager injured shortly after a tragic shooting death.