A Nigerian-born teenager, Emmanuel Popoola, has been found guilty of murder by a court in the United Kingdom over the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old, Keanu Harker, during a gang-related clash in north London.
The verdict was delivered on Monday by the Central Criminal Court, which also convicted another 18-year-old, Tayvon Etefia, after both were found guilty of killing Harker in Enfield.
Prosecutors told the court that the killing stemmed from an ongoing feud between two rival gangs, the 3×3 gang and the Get Money Gang. The hostility reportedly escalated after an exchange on Snapchat, where comments mocked Popoola over his inability to afford mobile data.
Lead prosecutor Louise Oakley said Harker was riding a bicycle when the attackers caught up with him and opened fire. The teenager collapsed after being shot and managed to crawl into the front garden of a nearby house before succumbing to his injuries.
According to the prosecution, the two suspects fled the scene immediately after the attack without attempting to assist the victim.
The court heard that Popoola later tried to flee the country by boarding a one-way Eurostar train from London’s St Pancras station to Paris with the assistance of his 18-year-old girlfriend, Anais King.
Investigators, however, tracked his movements after King travelled to France to meet him, enabling French authorities to locate and arrest him. Etefia was also intercepted by police on a train moments before its scheduled departure after officers traced his travel plans.
In addition to the murder convictions, Popoola and Etefia were found guilty of possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life. Three other defendants, including King, an individual identified as Mbaki and a 17-year-old boy, were convicted of perverting the course of justice.
The court fixed Thursday and Friday for the sentencing of Popoola and Etefia, while the remaining defendants will be sentenced on a later date.
Reacting to the judgment, the victim’s family described the loss as a lifelong tragedy and called for stronger efforts to tackle youth gang violence, warning that more families could suffer similar heartbreak if the growing culture of gang crime is not addressed.
