Two men, 33 and 27, were shot near the O2 Academy Islington on Tuesday night. One has life-changing injuries; no arrests yet. Call 101, CAD 7386/27OCT.

Two men were shot near the O2 Academy Islington, in Angel, on Tuesday night. Neither man’s injuries are life-threatening. The older man’s injuries have been assessed as life-changing. No arrests have been made.

The Metropolitan Police has not yet published a statement about the shooting on its own newsroom. Its statement was carried word for word by the Evening Standard and by London Now. Everything below about the incident comes from that statement, and nothing else from those articles.

What the police say happened

Police were called at 10.25pm on Tuesday 27 October to reports of a shooting near the O2 Academy Islington, on Parkfield Street.

  • Officers found two men, aged 33 and 27, with gunshot wounds.
  • The London Ambulance Service took both men to hospital.
  • Police said neither man’s injuries are life-threatening.
  • The 33-year-old’s injuries have been assessed as life-changing.
  • No arrests have been made, and an investigation is under way.

A Met spokesperson said extensive enquiries were continuing to establish the full circumstances. The force has not named either man and has not said what it believes the motive was.

What the police said

Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart said:

“This was an incredibly reckless incident in a busy area close to a major venue and no doubt caused significant fear among members of the public. Violence has no place in our communities, and we are pursuing every available line of enquiry to identify those involved.”

He added:

“There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and anyone with concerns is urged to speak to officers. The Angel Centre remains closed as we conduct enquiries at the scene. We recognise the impact this is having, and we are grateful for the understanding and cooperation of the community. We are working with our partners to reopen the venue as soon as possible.”

What it means for you

  • Angel Central may still be shut. The police said on Wednesday that the shopping centre was closed while officers worked at the scene. Angel Central’s own website had published no notice about the closure or a reopening time when we checked on Wednesday evening, so check before you travel.
  • Expect more officers around Angel over the next few days. The force says anyone with concerns should speak to them.
  • If you saw anything, and have not yet spoken to police, call 101 quoting CAD 7386/27OCT.
  • To stay anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

What the crime figures show

Police.uk, the Home Office’s street-level crime map, does not publish shootings as a separate category. Gun crime sits inside wider categories such as violence and sexual offences, and possession of weapons. Its latest month is August 2026, so Tuesday’s shooting is not yet in it.

What the figures do show is how busy this patch is. Within a mile of Angel Central, police.uk records:

  • between 380 and 475 violence and sexual offences every month from September 2025 to August 2026
  • a high of 475 in July 2026
  • between five and 18 possession of weapons offences a month over the same period

Police.uk places each crime at an anonymised map point rather than its exact address. The point it uses for the Angel Central shopping area carried 19 violence and sexual offences and five robberies between January and August 2026. (police.uk data)

Bar chart of violence and sexual offences recorded within a mile of Angel Central each month from September 2025 to August 2026: 381, 443, 393, 380, 393, 386, 419, 438, 432, 464, 475 and 434.
Violence and sexual offences within a mile of Angel Central, by month. Chart by Islington Today, from police.uk data.
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We will update this page with any arrest, appeal or reopening the Metropolitan Police announces, rather than publishing a new story.