Gang fired sawn-off shotgun at women and children in 'turf war'

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Police forensic officers attend the scene of a shooting in January 2023 (Image: Getty Images)
Police forensic officers attend the scene of a shooting in January 2023 (Image: Getty Images)

Four men have been convicted after a shooting in north London left two men and four women injured.

A crowd of people were attending a memorial service when a sawn-off shotgun was fired from a car. The shooting took place on January 14, 2023, outside a church on Phoenix Road in Euston. One girl was left with a metal pellet near her heart, which will affect her for the rest of her life. One of the women sustained severe injuries that impacted her hearing and balance, while other victims recovered from their physical injuries.

The car left, leaving a scene of devastation, with a detective making urgent enquiries to find the driver. They combed through around 2,000 hours' worth of CCTV footage to track the vehicle after it made its escape. Video from a bus camera showed the car's number plate but these were cloned. At this time officers received information to suggest Tyrell Lacroix was involved in the shooting.

His phone data showed he had been in contact with two other men in the weeks before the attack. It was found that planning began in November 2022 when Lacroix found the black Toyota car that would be used in the shooting.

Gang fired sawn-off shotgun at women and children in 'turf war' eiqetidzhidexinvJashy Perch was also in the vehicle at the time of the shooting (Met Police)
Gang fired sawn-off shotgun at women and children in 'turf war'Tyrell Lacroix is one of the gang members convicted in relation to the shooting (Met Police)

The suspect was part of a gang in north London and believed members of a rival gang would be at the memorial service. Over the coming weeks, he was in contact with Jordan Walters and Alrico Nelson Martin, who supplied the arms, MyLondon reported.

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Days before the shooting, in early January, Lacroix and Walters visited the church to survey the area. On the day of the shooting, Lacroix and Walters were with a third man, Jashy Perch, at his home in Watford. Detectives recovered taxi booking records which proved Martin had gone to the property at around midday to deliver the gun.

A short time later, Lacroix, Walters and Perch, left Watford for Euston, in central London. They did a number of circuits outside the church before one of them opened fire into the crowd. As they fled CCTV footage showed them overtaking cars, driving on the wrong side of the road, and jumping a red light.

Detective Inspector Darren Jones, from the Specialist Crime Trident Investigation team, said: "These dangerous men brought unimaginable fear and horror to the streets of London. I am pleased our investigation has resulted in them being convicted. They cowardly shot at mourners as they gathered outside a church. The innocent women and girls who were injured will have to deal with the impact of that for the rest of their lives.

Gang fired sawn-off shotgun at women and children in 'turf war'Alrico Nelson Martin was convicted for possession of a shot gun (Met Police)
Gang fired sawn-off shotgun at women and children in 'turf war'Jordan Walters is among the four who will reappear in court in April (Met Police)

"Our investigation has been extensive and complex. It involved recovering and viewing around 2,000 hours of CCTV and piecing together a significant amount of phone location data to identify those responsible. Our Specialist Crime Trident Investigation teams are committed to the Met’s mission to tackle violence against women and girls. This investigation demonstrates our relentless determination to identify dangerous offenders and bring them to justice."

Of Dorman Way, 23-year-old Tyrell Lacroix, Jashy Perch, 20 of Churchfields Road, Watford and Jordan Walter, 24 of Hilltop Avenue, Brent were convicted of conspiracy to wound with intent to cause serious harm at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, February 15. The fourth man, Alrico Nelson-Martin, 20, of Griffin Close, Brent was also convicted of possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life.

The men will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, April 12. Enquiries continue to identify a fourth man who was in the car at the time of the shooting.

Olivia Beeson

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