A male shot in the chest on Tuesday night in Borehamwood is just 16-years-old, police have said.
Detectives have launched an attempted murder investigation following a shooting near Ripon Park.
Multiple police units and ambulances were called to the roundabout where Ripon Way, Manor Way, and Cranes Way meet at around 10.50pm on Tuesday.
A teenager was found with wounds to his chest and he was rushed to hospital.
He remains in hospital, seriously injured, and police believe he has sustained life-changing injuries.
No further details are known about the boy.
Since Tuesday night, a police cordon has been in place at the roundabout.
The cordon on the edge of Ripon Park
Several officers have been guarding the crime scene as detectives investigated the circumstances around the shooting.
A minimum of three forensic vans were at the scene on Wednesday afternoon and a group of officers dressed in black were seen combing Manor Way and the surrounding area hunting for clues.
A crime scene remains in place this morning.
Despite armed police, dog units, and a police helicopter helping in a search, police were unable to track down anyone responsible for the shooting on Tuesday night.
Forensic officers in Manor Way on Wednesday afternoon. Credit: Brian Regan
A police car in Manor Way
Today, police said a "suspect" remains outstanding at this time, suggesting detectives are only looking for one person.
Police are now appealing for members of the public who may have seen what happened to come forward to speak to them.
Hertsmere Detective Inspector Michael Macbeth said: "We are now treating this incident as attempted murder, with the investigation being led by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.
"We are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who has information about what happened to contact us.
“Were you in the area around the time of the incident? Did you see something suspicious? Do you have CCTV of the area which caught something that could help with our enquiries? If so please get in touch."
Where the shooting took place
Yesterday, Det Insp Macbeth acknowledged the seriousness of the incident in Borehamwood.
He said: "I understand news of this incident will be alarming, I want to reassure the community that we are investigating the circumstances surrounding this and doing all we can to locate those responsible."
The leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, Morris Bright, who lives close to the scene, said yesterday: "I have been made aware of the details of this shocking incident.
"Such an incident is a shock to us all. Thankfully shootings are very rare.
"Hertsmere is still a safe place to live. I have confidence the police will get to the bottom of what has happened here."
Anyone with any information for police on this shooting can visit herts.police.uk/report or call 101, quoting reference 41/62014/20.
Or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.
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