The mother of a young Brazilian man killed in a gun attack in south London has said her "heart is bleeding" after being told of her son's death by his friends.
Deliveroo worker Guilherme Messias da Silva was dropping off his last order of the day when he was hit by a car involved in the drive-by shooting in Brixton, south London, as it careered out of control.
It was understood that Guilherme, 21, who came from Petrolina de Goias near the Brazilian capital Brasilia, had been planning to quit his job and go to Brazil in December.
The other victim of the shooting is said to be a drill rapper known as Perm, who is believed to have been the target of the attack.
A police spokesperson said detectives believed two cars were driving in the Railton Road area when one of the cars was in collision with a moped, before further colliding with parked vehicles.
"A man from the car involved in the collision got out of the vehicle and was pursued by a male, armed with a firearm, from the second car," they said. "The fleeing male was shot and he died at the scene."
Police have launched a manhunt for the killers.
Guilherme's mother, nursing technician Rosângela Messias de Sousa, is now mourning the death of her son from her home in the Municipality of Petrolina de Goiás.
"I went into despair, screamed, fainted.
"It's very sad, my heart is bleeding. It hurts everything", she said.
The 46-year-old told local news outlet G1 that Guilherme had moved to England to work and was living in Brixton where the fatal incident occurred.
Guilherme's stepfather, Cirilo Antonio Machado, 66, described him as cheerful and outgoing, a "sweet and hardworking" young man with lots of friends.
Rosângela said she made daily calls to Guilherme, her youngest son, and had spoken to him on Sunday morning.
She said the quality of the call was poor, which led to them ending their conversation abruptly.
"I was talking to him and he wasn't listening, so I told him to call later", she said.
Rosângela also told of how she learned of her son's death through close friends of the young man.
The friends were in contact with the local police to update Guilherme's parents with information about the case, she said.
According to his stepfather, the family is looking for ways to transfer Guilherme's body back to Brazil, with the aim of burying him in his hometown.
On Monday, the Municipality of Petrolina de Goiás issued a note of condolence to the death of the young man.
"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of the young petrolian Guilherme Messsias," a message on social media read.
"We stand in solidarity with the family and ask God to comfort relatives and friends in this moment of pain."
A spokesperson from the Consulate General of Brazil in London said they were aware of the death of Brazilian citizen Guilherme Messias da Silva and would be providing support to family members.
A Deliveroo spokesperson described Guilherme's death as an "incredibly tragic" incident and said their hearts went out to the friends and family of those who had lost their lives.
"We are as shocked and saddened that such awful events can take place in one of our local communities and we have offered to support the police however we can," they said.
Cops were called just before 8pm after reports of gunshots were heard on Railton Road in Brixton, with firearm specialists from the Metropolitan Police rushing to the scene along with the London Ambulance Service.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, both Guilherme and Perm were pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
The Metropolitan Police has not yet confirmed the identities of those who died, however tributes have been paid online to Perm.
The musician's father Dean Whyte posted a tribute on social media on Monday morning, sharing an image of his son with the words: "R.i.p my boy daddy loves you. Life has changed forever".
Another message posted to Dean's Instagram account on Tuesday said: "Just wanna thank you all for your messages and support can't get through all of the messages at this time but just know its appreciated (sic).
"Hearts forever broken. Love you my boy."
Dean is a close friend of British professional boxer Dillian Whyte, who re-posted his original tribute to Perm.
A Met spokesperson said in a statement: "Detectives are appealing for witnesses and information following an incident in Herne Hill which resulted in the deaths of two people.
"Work continues to identify and inform next of kin and formal identification awaits.
"Post-mortem examinations will be held in due course.
"An investigation is underway by homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.
"Local residents will see an enhanced police presence in the area and are advised to speak with officers if they have any information.
"At this stage, there have been no arrests and enquiries continue."
Officers, including firearms officers, attended in attendance along with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.
Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove of the Central South Command Unit, responsible for policing Lambeth and Southwark, added:
“I am shocked and saddened by this incident. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the two young men who have tragically lost their lives. This incident will cause a great deal of concern throughout the local community and across London.
“We are supporting Specialist Crime detectives, who are working at pace to confirm the specific sequence of events and identify and arrest those responsible.
“Local officers are on the scene and patrolling the local area to speak to local residents, seek witnesses and provide visible reassurance. I would urge anyone with any information however small to come forward to help bring whoever is responsible to justice.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 6166/30Oct. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
