Four jailed over drive by shooting in central London

Four men who carried out a drive by shooting outside a church in central London have been sentenced to a total of more than 70 years

Four women and two children were injured when the group aged between 20 and 24 used a sawn off shotgun to fire into a crowd after a memorial service in January 2023

The court heard how the gunmen planned the attack for two months believing members of a rival gang would be at the service in Euston.

Tyrell Lacroix was jailed for 21 years with a further five years on licence, Jashy Perch was jailed for 16 years with a further four years on licence, Jordan Walters was jailed for 13 years, and Alrico Nelson-Martin was jailed for 14 years.

The court heard that one of the little girls sustained gunshot wounds to her arms, legs, and pelvic region, as well as one pellet lodging in a muscle next to her heart.

In a victim impact statement, the girl's mother said she had asked her, "mummy, why has this happened to me?"

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "She felt like she had done something wrong and could not understand why."

She added that the incident had "taken away" her daughter's innocence.

One of the women was also left with serious injuries that have affected her hearing and balance.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "I am half the woman I was before."

The memorial service was a requiem Mass for Sara Sanchez, 20, and her mother, Fresia Calderon, 50, who died in November 2022.

Ms Sanchez had suffered from leukaemia for three years. She died after her mother died suddenly from a rare blood clot on arrival at Heathrow from Colombia.

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 removed from the community for a considerable time.

"The innocent women and girls who were injured will have to deal with the impact of the shooting for the rest of their lives, something that Lacroix, Perch, Walter and Nelson-Martin will have time to consider as they serve their sentences.

"Our investigation was complex and extensive. 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.

“I hope that the justice handed down today brings the victims a small measure of comfort and closure."

Enquiries continue to identify a third man who was in the car at the time of the shooting.

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