Crime reporter(wp/es):
This is the moment a hooded gunman pulled a pistol from his tracksuit pocket and fired three times during a violent clash on a north London street.
Neighbours today told of their terror as two groups brawled in the middle of the road in Wood Green at 9.30pm on Wednesday.
CCTV footage captured the moment the rival gangs pulled up in three cars, headlamps blazing, and began to push and shove at each other before one man casually drew out a handgun.
Several shots were heard before the groups scattered, with five diving for cover into their hatchback and reversing away at speed, doors still open, to escape.
The man brandishing the gun was held back by his friends who them jumped into their own vehicles, a BMW and Mercedes, to flee before police arrived.
Officers later stopped one of the cars believed to be involved and arrested three men aged 22, 27 and 31, for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
They are being questioned in custody. Officers are still hunting for the blue BMW.
Residents today told of their shock at the shootout in Graham Road, a quiet street near Turnpike Lane station where three bedroom homes cost £600,000.
A 22-year-old waitress told the Standard: “I was just watching TV and the cars pulled up with their lights on really bright. I heard the noise as they started arguing and shouting at each other.
“I looked out of the window and it got really heated. Then one guy got the gun out and they all seemed to run away. There were three shots. Really loud bangs.
“When that happened I just got as far away as I could from the window and went and hid in the kitchen. I was really shaken up.
“I’m not from London and, while you do hear stories about gun and knife crime, when you see it on your doorstep like that it’s terrifying.
“I didnt go outside until the police turned up a few minutes later.
“It’s a nice street. There’s a green where people go with their kids and there’s lots of families on the road. It’s really scary it happened here.”
A neighbour said: “We heard the bangs and the young people running away. It’s crazy but I’m not that surprised really.
“The street is nice but the area is bad and there is always trouble around Turnpike Station.”
The incident comes amid spiralling gun crime in London with latest figures showing a 10 per cent increase in firearms incidents - up to 2,122 - in the past year.
Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe has said a record number guns and weapons have been seized on the streets of London this year.
A report released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics today showed violent crime has soared nationally with knife crime up nine per cent and gun crime up seven per cent.
A Met police spokesman said: “Officers were called at around 9.30pm on Wednesday to reports of shots fired in the area of Graham Road.
“On attending the scene officers found a number of firearm casings. Police are not currently aware of any people injured.”
This is the moment a hooded gunman pulled a pistol from his tracksuit pocket and fired three times during a violent clash on a north London street.
Neighbours today told of their terror as two groups brawled in the middle of the road in Wood Green at 9.30pm on Wednesday.
CCTV footage captured the moment the rival gangs pulled up in three cars, headlamps blazing, and began to push and shove at each other before one man casually drew out a handgun.
Several shots were heard before the groups scattered, with five diving for cover into their hatchback and reversing away at speed, doors still open, to escape.
The man brandishing the gun was held back by his friends who them jumped into their own vehicles, a BMW and Mercedes, to flee before police arrived.
Officers later stopped one of the cars believed to be involved and arrested three men aged 22, 27 and 31, for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
They are being questioned in custody. Officers are still hunting for the blue BMW.
Residents today told of their shock at the shootout in Graham Road, a quiet street near Turnpike Lane station where three bedroom homes cost £600,000.
A 22-year-old waitress told the Standard: “I was just watching TV and the cars pulled up with their lights on really bright. I heard the noise as they started arguing and shouting at each other.
“I looked out of the window and it got really heated. Then one guy got the gun out and they all seemed to run away. There were three shots. Really loud bangs.
“When that happened I just got as far away as I could from the window and went and hid in the kitchen. I was really shaken up.
“I’m not from London and, while you do hear stories about gun and knife crime, when you see it on your doorstep like that it’s terrifying.
“I didnt go outside until the police turned up a few minutes later.
“It’s a nice street. There’s a green where people go with their kids and there’s lots of families on the road. It’s really scary it happened here.”
A neighbour said: “We heard the bangs and the young people running away. It’s crazy but I’m not that surprised really.
“The street is nice but the area is bad and there is always trouble around Turnpike Station.”
The incident comes amid spiralling gun crime in London with latest figures showing a 10 per cent increase in firearms incidents - up to 2,122 - in the past year.
Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe has said a record number guns and weapons have been seized on the streets of London this year.
A report released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics today showed violent crime has soared nationally with knife crime up nine per cent and gun crime up seven per cent.
A Met police spokesman said: “Officers were called at around 9.30pm on Wednesday to reports of shots fired in the area of Graham Road.
“On attending the scene officers found a number of firearm casings. Police are not currently aware of any people injured.”
