A teenager shot dead in a South London grocery shop last night was an innocent bystander in a gangland shoot-out, Scotland Yard said today.

Ryan Bravo,18, was hit in the back as he shopped for groceries with his brother and cousin at Costcutter in Camberwell Road, Southwark.

Detectives have not traced two black teenagers they believe were the intended victims of the shooting. The pair, who were believed to be trying to get away from someone, forced their way inside the shop before several shots were fired.

At least one of those hit Mr Bravo, who police say was not involved in any confrontation or chase.

Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson, of Operation Trident, said: “It appears at this stage that the victim has no links to gang activity and that he was an innocent bystander - caught up in the cross fire and was not the intended target."

The murder is being investigated by officers from Operation Trident, the unit which specialises in gun crime within London’s black community.

The emergency services were alerted at 9.40pm and an ambulance was on the scene within five minutes, but paramedics were unable to revive the victim who was pronounced dead 45 minutes later, before he could be loaded into a waiting helicopter.

Costcutter is shut today and the area around it has been cordoned off while police guard the scene. One of the shop windows was shattered and tarpaulin has been hung from the shop front to cover the ground.

An Albanian man in his twenties, who was in the shop when the shooting began, said he was lucky to have survived the attack.

“I was in the shop last night buying cigarettes and four or five guys ran in,” he said. “I didn’t think anything bad was going to happen because I thought they were joking and laughing.

“They didn’t look scared or angry or anything. But then I heard shots, three or four. I’ve never seen anyone get shot before. It was like something out of a film.

“It was all over in about seven seconds. I just put all of my stuff down and ran out of the shop. A hysterical lady ran out after me. Two people ran out, got on mopeds and drove away. I’m lucky to be alive.”

A man selling flowers near the scene this morning said his friend witnessed the shooting. He said five young men were seen running down the busy shopping street at about 9.30pm.

The group all raced to get inside the shop, apparently in a bid to escape someone, his friend said.

The flower seller said that one young black man at the back of the group did not manage to make it inside the shop.

Last night’s killing was the 22nd fatal knife or gun attack on a teenager in London. It comes just two months after the murder of Arsema Dawit, who was stabbed on her 15th birthday. She was first assaulted by her suspected killer on the same road as last night’s shooting.

The latest murder of a young Londoner came just a week after a mass rally was held in Southwark to mark the death of David Idowu, 14, who was stabbed to death nearby.

Grace Idowu, the victims mother, lead a procession through the streets of the borough towards Downing Street urging Gordon Brown to introduce ‘more practical solutions’ to combat teenage violence.

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