As North American cities continue to grapple with firearm violence, new data from London highlight the capital's own gun‑crime hotspots while police investigate a fatal shooting in Clapham.
Crime statistics released by the Metropolitan Police have shed light on which parts of London are seeing the highest levels of gun crime.
In Canada, firearm‑related incidents have been on a downward trend, while the United States still records the highest per‑capita gun deaths among developed nations, underscoring that the issue is not confined to Europe.
It comes as detectives probe a shooting in Clapham on Monday evening which resulted in the death of a 25‑year‑old man.
The data, taken from the Met's monthly crime data statistics, shows that there have been a total of 1,679 gun‑related offences recorded by police officers across the capital between August 2025 and July 2026.
This is down from 1,918 offences in the year previously, but still above the 1,492 offences between August 2022 and July 2023, and the 1,624 offences between August 2023 and July 2024.
Of the 1,679 offences, the Met recorded 213 as being involved in a robbery and 108 involved a "lethal barrel discharge" (LBD), meaning a shot was fired.
Gun‑crime hotspots in London
The boroughs with the worst gun crime rates in the past year are Enfield and Brent, with 110 and 108 crimes logged respectively.
Lambeth, where Monday's fatal shooting occurred, is in third spot, with 88 gun‑related offences recorded.
Lambeth was also the borough which saw the most LBDs in the past year, with 13 recorded by the Met.
Westminster saw the most gun‑crime personal robbery offences, with 17, just ahead of Newham and Enfield with 16 each.
Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon all appear high on the overall list, highlighting south London as a particular hotspot for gun crime.
Law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States monitor such trends as they often share intelligence on organised crime groups that operate across the Atlantic.
In contrast, south‑west London recorded low figures, with Richmond, Kingston and Merton taking three of the bottom four spots.
Police response to the Clapham shooting
A 22‑year‑old man has been arrested following the fatal shooting in Clapham.
Emergency services were called shortly before 10pm on Monday after reports of gunshots on Willington Road, where a 25‑year‑old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, a man attended hospital with a gunshot wound. He has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Met said they were awaiting an update on his condition as he remains in hospital.
Police remained at the scene on Tuesday, with a cordon in place near the Landor pub at the junction of Willington Road and Landor Road.
Floral tributes have been placed near the pub.
One local resident said he heard three gunshots on Monday evening and described seeing someone run out of the pub and shout "call the police".
Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, Central South Borough Commander said: "We understand that incident will cause concern within the local community and an increased police presence will remain in the area throughout the day as our enquiries continue. Our thoughts remain with the victim's family for their tragic loss.
"Officers have arrested a man on suspicion of murder, and we are working tirelessly to establish what happened.
"We are asking anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to please contact us as soon as possible and support the ongoing investigation."
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information has been urged to contact police on 101 quoting reference 8379/10AUG, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.