Tributes paid to Barking shooting victim David Adegbite, 18
David Adegbite, inset, alongside tributes left for him in St Ann's - Credit: Archant
Tributes have been paid to the teenager who was shot dead in St Ann’s on Sunday evening by friends and dignitaries.
David Adegbite - Credit: Archant
The 18-year-old, who has been locally named as David Adegbite, was killed with a bullet to the head.
Police are treating his death as murder, and two men, both aged 20 have been arrested.
One has been bailed pending further enquiries, and the other remains in custody at a south London police station.
David, who was better known by his nickname “Dutch”, went to NewVIc sixth-form college in Plaistow and made music in his spare time.
Memorials at the site of David "Dutch" Adegbite's death - Credit: Archant
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Classmates gathered to lay flowers at the site of his death on the Barking housing estate, and described him as “a really humble guy”. “You never saw him mad, he was always laughing,” added a friend who preferred not to be named.
Another classmate said: “He was ambitious, I saw big things for him in the future.”
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In fact, the young Arsenal fan was looking forward to studying at Middlesex University in the autumn.
Rafael Benedetti, 19, who grew up with David and went to Dagenham Park secondary school with him, said: “He was one of those people that once you met him, it’s nearly impossible to forget him.”
Politicians have come forward to pay their respects to David’s family and condemn gun violence.
Margaret Hodge MP described his death “an unspeakably awful tragedy”: “Another young person has lost their life too soon due to mindless violence.
“This is yet another reminder that guns are one of the most terrible threats to our community.”
She added that her thoughts were with David’s family and said: “I will continue to work with the police to ensure that everything is being done to put an end to gun violence here in this borough.”
Council leader Darren Rodwell expressed similar sentiments: “I can only describe Sunday night’s events as a terrible tragedy and a complete waste of a young life. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this awful time.
“I want to reassure residents that the safety of our community and our young people is our number one priority. Our borough is no place for guns so we will be supporting the police with their ongoing investigation to get to the bottom of what happened. We will continue to do everything we can to keep our borough one of the safest in London.”
