Bright schoolgirl, 15, 'accidentally shot dead as she dropped off £100 Nike trainers at her boyfriend's birthday party'

Shereka Marsh, 15, was shot dead at house in Hackney Wick, East London

Teenager had arrived at boyfriend's birthday party to drop off Nike trainers



A 15-year-old has been charged with murder, Scotland Yard has said

Witnesses said he had waved antique gun before it went off by accident



Student at Urswick School was pronounced dead at scene by paramedics



Three boys, two aged 16 and one 15, were arrested on suspicion of murder



The youngest suspect will appear in court today, two others released



Tragic: Shereka Marsh has been named by police as the victim of the shooting in Hackney Wick, London

A teenager was accidentally shot dead at her boyfriend’s birthday party as she dropped off a £100 pair of trainers she had bought him as a present, her friends have said.

Star pupil Shereka Marsh, 15, bled to death in minutes after being shot in the neck as a youth ‘showed off’ an antique gun, ‘waving it around’.

Witnesses claimed they pleaded with the boy to put the weapon down. But moments later, the World War Two handgun went off without warning, and a bullet struck Miss Marsh in the neck.



Scotland Yard detectives are trying to piece together the tragedy at a house in Hackney, East London.

Three boys, one aged 15 and two 16-year-olds, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Two are thought to be brothers.



A boy, 15, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has appeared at Stratford Youth Court charged with murder.



He wore a grey fleece and tracksuit bottoms and spoke only to confirm his personal details during the short hearing.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, March 26.



Prosecutor Cindy Feyefunmi told the court that London Ambulance Service paramedics were called to the address by a 999 call shortly before 4pm on Saturday to reports someone had been shot.

She said: 'Following that call police were notified and they attended the address.



'The LAS tried to resuscitate the victim but she was pronounced dead at the scene.'



Friends said ‘love-struck’ Shereka had popped into the house to give her boyfriend of a few months a pair of white Nike Air Force One trainers.

On social networking site Twitter, the teenager said that she was looking forward to the party.



She wrote ‘can next week Saturday hurry up’ and ‘got my outfit in my head already’. Hours before the tragedy, she added: ‘Happy birthday to my baby boy.’

Shereka, described as a model pupil, was chosen to guide the Jamaican High Commissioner around The Urswick School on a visit ten days ago. She was studying for her GCSE exams and dreamed of going to college.

The shooting happened at about 4pm on Saturday as teenagers gathered at the house in the absence of parents.

Two 16-years-olds who had been arrested in connection to the shooting have been released without charge, police said.

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Scene: The teenager was attacked in a house just before 4pm on Saturday. Above, police at the scene yesterday

Victim: Miss Marsh may have been accidentally shot in the neck by her male friend, according to online posts



Final tweets: The teenager took to Twitter at midday on Saturday - just hours before the shooting took place

One said the boy had brought the gun into the living room.

‘He was showing off with it. Everyone was shouting at him to put it away,’ he said.

‘They were actually screaming at him, but he was waving it around in people’s faces when it just went off without any warning. There was a loud bang and Shereka fell down to the floor.

‘The boy just bolted from the house with his brother. Someone else had to phone an ambulance after hearing the screaming.’

A friend said the boy was ‘fooling around’. She added: ‘He was like an older brother to me. I’m very shocked that he had a gun.’

Tributes was paid to Shereka yesterday as the news spread. Her mother Shyrine, 41, a chef who came to the UK from Jamaica 12 years ago, was being comforted by relatives.

Her cousin Tritian Mills said: ‘I don’t know how she’s coping. How do you cope when you’ve lost your only child?

‘Shereka was beautiful. She was a really good girl. She was very smart and athletic – a real all-rounder. She was good at everything – maths, English, history – she had so much promise. We don’t know what happened on Saturday night.’

The scene in Hackney Wick remained cordoned off yesterday as forensic experts investigated.

The neighbourhood, in the shadow of the Olympic Park, was once known for violent crime but has grown popular with artists.

Investigation: A 15-year-old has been charged with murder Scotland Yard confirmed Standing guard: Miss Marsh has been named as the victim online. Above, officers stand outside the house



Offering condolences: Dozens of people have taken to social-networking sites to pay tribute to Miss Marsh

Paying tribute: User @ForeverAyleah posted: 'God gained another beautiful angel #tomorrowisntpromised'

Residents said the shooting was ‘sadly not a surprise’, as many children are forced to look after guns for gang members.

Krista Brown, whose son is friends with those involved, said: ‘Round here a lot of young kids have guns. Most of them are given to them by older kids.

‘They are just boys with deadly weapons. . . Gangs and violence, this is our kids’ reality.’

Miss Brown, a National Apprenticeship Service ambassador, added: ‘It’s a tragic situation.’

Friends who visited the scene to leave flowers said Shereka was the ‘life and soul’ of any group.

Priscilla Dade, 16, said: ‘She was incredibly friendly and bubbly. She was the energy of our friendship group.

Shock: A police officer watches as a group of people gather at the scene where Shereka was shot

In memory: A police community support officer lays flowers handed to him by a mourner at the scene

Grief: Two young girls console one another in the wake of Shereka's death Tributes: Bunches of flowers and sympathy cards were left by visitors to the site Sorrow: Young people light candles outside the house this afternoon

Education:The 15-year-old victim was a star pupil at Urswick School (pictured) in Paragon Road, Hackney

'Rest in paradise': Twitter user Nasir Jones pays tribute to Miss Marsh - dubbing the shooting a 'tragic story'

Shereka was very ambitious and planned to go to college and then university. She was the type of girl you wanted to be around.’

Another said: ‘Shereka only went to drop off his birthday present, and somehow she got shot. Nobody knows how yet.’

Family friend Kourtney Fraser-Grant said Shereka had strong feelings for her new boyfriend.

‘She wasn’t someone who liked to admit that she cared about someone but it was obvious she really liked him,’ she said.

‘Shereka’s mother is a chef who worked really hard and long hours to support her daughter. Shereka was all she had.’

Investigation: A police forensic expert leaves the house with sealed bags of evidence

Probe: A forensics officer enters the property to search for evidence Guard: Police community support officers stand sentry outside the terraced house

Shooting: Officers are pictured at the house last night. Miss Marsh was pronounced dead at the scene