Pic: Joseph Burke-Monerville

A teenager, who was shot in the head over the weekend in Clapton, was the victim of “mistaken identity”, according to police.

Joseph Burke-Monerville, 19, from Islington, was shot on February 16 at around 8:20pm. He died three hours later in hospital.

His older brother, 22, was also shot in the front seat of the car, but police have said he is in a stable condition.

Detective Chief Inspector Kenny McDonald said: “Our early inquiries suggest that Joseph and those he was in the car with have no links to gangs.”

And Detective Superintendent Gordon Allison,  also of Operation Trident, told the BBC: “As far as we’re concerned, this looks like a tragic case of mistaken identity.’

“They have parked just opposite a shop – we believe they were going to go into the shop and make a couple of purchases and then they were going to go home.

“They have been approached by the two suspects, a short conversation has taken place and as a result of that, three shots were fired into the vehicle, resulting in the fatal injury of the victim.”

Police are appealing for any witnesses and for information about the two suspects seen running from the car park on Hindrey Road, E5. The first man is black, the second is light-skinned – possibly of Asian or Turkish appearance.

Burke-Monerville’s twin brother was in the back seat of the vehicle but was not injured.

Friends paid tribute to Burke-Monerville across social networking sites and expressed their shock and disgust at the incident.

DCI McDonald said: “I would urge anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting and may have seen the incident, or two males fleeing the scene, to contact officers.”

Detectives from Operation Trident, the Met Police gun crime unit, are leading the inquiry. An incident room has opened at Hendon under DCI McDonald.

Any witnesses or anyone with information should call police on 020 8733 4211. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

By Chris Dillon