'There Was A Loud Bang' Third Schoolboy Killing [UK]

The sister of murdered teenager Billy Cox heard "a loud bang" inside her home before finding her brother shot in the chest, it has been revealed.

Elizabeth Cox, 13, frantically tried to administer first aid to her 15-year-old brother but could do nothing to save him.

She called for an ambulance but Billy was pronounced dead at the scene in Fenwick Place, Clapham just after 3.30pm on Wednesday.

It is thought Billy - who was serving a supervision order for a burglary offence - was deliberately targeted and knew his attackers.

There were no signs of forced entry at the house but the back door was open.

Police revealed the new details while urging anyone with information about the killing to come forward.

Armed police patrols are being stepped up in south London following the shooting - the third such killing in 12 days.

A special task force will also be created and Met chief Sir Ian Blair said he would like to meet community leaders.

He has already held an emergency meeting with senior police officers.

The latest killing echoes the murder of churchgoing schoolboy Michael Dosunmu, also 15, who was shot in his bedroom at his family's home in Peckham last Tuesday.

Just a few days before, 16-year-old James Andre Smartt-Ford had been shot and killed at an ice rink in nearby Streatham.

The shootings - which police say there is no evidence to directly link - will fuel the perception that gun culture among south London's teenagers is out of control.

Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt said police chiefs have been "alarmed" at the spike in gun crime, especially among teens.

And he drew attention to a report in New Nation newspaper - which serves the black community - which talks of a "generation of children running around like Scarface", after Al Pacino's famous film gangster.

He added: "Things have reached a climax. There is a lot of concern about peer pressure in the four or five gangs in that part of south London, in the junior sections of some of these gangs."

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UK Gun Law Overview from BBC Newsround:

Could I own a gun? You can't own a gun in this country until you are 17 years old. It is difficult to shoot one below the age of 14, but it is possible with the correct supervision.

You need to have a licence to own a gun in the UK, and getting a licence can take a very long time.

Why do so many people in the USA have guns? It is very easy to buy a gun in the USA. You must be 18 or over. When you buy a gun from a registered dealer, you have computerised background check. This only takes a few minutes.

If you buy a gun from a "private collector" (anyone who is not a registered dealer), you don't need to be checked. This effectively means anyone over 18 can get a gun.

The American Constitution, which sets out the country's rights and freedoms, says people are allowed to "keep and bear arms."

This makes it very hard to make laws limiting the way guns are bought and sold.

Is it any different in the UK? It is much more difficult to get a gun in the UK. It is completely illegal to own a handgun unless you can proove you use it to kill vermin like rats, or it is an antique type gun.

You need a licence to buy a gun. Depending on what type of gun you want, you need to do different things to get a licence.

You need to prove you will store your gun properly, and give the police lots of information about yourself, including your medical records.

You also need to get two people to say to the police that they think you are a good person to own a gun.

Why have gun laws changed recently? After an attack on school children in Dunblane, many types of gun were made illegal.

Following a rise in attacks involving guns in the UK, it was decided that all hand guns should be made illegal.

People thought if hand guns were harder to get, there would be less gun-related crime. But pro-shooting groups think this is not the case.

8 posted on 02/15/2007 3:29:55 PM CST by LurkedLongEnough