A resident who saw the party earlier that day said there were a number of young children present
By Waltham Forest Echo

Forensics investigating at the scene (credit: Nadoya Reid)

A young man was shot dead at the tail end of an “innocent-looking” party with a hired bouncy castle in a Walthamstow park.

Police were called to a party in Cheney Row Park, off Durban Road, in the early hours of Sunday, 24th July, after reports of gunshots.

A short time later, two men arrived at an east London hospital. One had “critical” gunshot wounds, while the other had been stabbed.

Tragically the former – 28-year-old Sam Brown – died from his injuries. The other man, in his 30s, survived and has been arrested by police.

Sam Brown (credit: Met)

A resident who passed the party earlier that day – and has asked not to be named – told the Echo it looked like a birthday party and had a number of young children attending.

She said: “It looked quite innocent. There were maybe 100 to 200 people, mostly adults in their 20s and 30s. There were quite young kids there and they had hired a bouncy castle.

“[Later that night] I said jokingly to my friend ‘that sounded like gunshots’ but I thought it was something else like fireworks.”

Another resident in his early 50s, who also asked not to be named, told the Echo he didn’t know Sam personally but had seen him around the area.

He said: “I knew the party was going on because I heard the noise but, when I heard the loud bang and a lot of commotion, I knew something was wrong.

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“I peeped through the window to see what was happening and could see people running around.”

The police cordon in Cheney Row Park (credit: Penny Dampier)

He said it was common for people to have parties in that park and that he had organised a few himself there over the years.

He added: “I can’t recall hearing anyone being shot before in the area but there is a lot of crime and loitering, especially among young people.”

DCI Kelly Allen of Specialist Crime, who is leading the murder investigation, said: “My heart goes out to the family of Sam, who has lost his life in this reckless act of violence.

“I can assure them of my total dedication, and that of my team, to ensuring that they get justice.

“I urgently need to speak with everyone who was at that event – even if you do not believe you saw anything significant.

“To anyone considering whether or not to come forward, put yourself in the position of Sam’s grieving mother and father. They deserve answers.

“Whoever took a gun to a gathering like this does not deserve your protection, nor do they deserve to be free to inflict further harm on others.”

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, who leads policing in Waltham Forest, added that that local officers “will be on duty to offer reassurance and a visible presence”.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference 267/24jul. You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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