The harrowing incident unfolded at St Aloysius Church in Phoenix Road, Euston, during a solemn funeral service for a mother and daughter in January 2023. As mourners gathered to pay their respects and release white doves into the sky, the tranquillity was shattered by gunfire.

Four women and two girls, aged 11 and seven, were caught in the crossfire, sustaining injuries as pellets from a sawn-off shotgun peppered the crowd. Among the victims was a young girl who endured multiple gunshot wounds, with one pellet embedded perilously close to her heart.

Following an extensive investigation, Tyrell Lacroix, 23, known as T. Scam in the drill rap scene, along with Jashy Perch, 20, Jordan Walters, 24, and Alrico Nelson-Martin, 20, were convicted of conspiracy to wound with intent to cause serious harm. Perch faced additional charges for possessing an offensive weapon and cannabis, while Nelson-Martin was also found guilty of possessing a shotgun with intent to endanger life.

The sentencing, delivered at Kingston Crown Court, saw Lacroix receive 21 years in prison with an additional five years on licence, Perch sentenced to 16 years with four years on licence, Walters sentenced to 13 years, and Nelson-Martin sentenced to 14 years. The court heard poignant victim impact statements, including a mother's heart-wrenching account of her daughter's innocence shattered by violence.

One victim, a young girl, asked her mother, "Mummy, why has this happened to me?" The sense of confusion and trauma permeated through the community, leaving scars both physical and emotional. Another woman left with severe injuries affecting her hearing and balance expressed feeling like "half the woman" she once was.

The memorial service, initially intended as a requiem Mass for Sara Sanchez, 20, and her mother, Fresia Calderon, 50, tragically became the scene of bloodshed. Sanchez, who battled leukemia for three years, and her mother, who succumbed to a rare blood clot, were being commemorated by loved ones when the attack occurred.

The planning of the attack traces back to November 2022, when Lacroix orchestrated the acquisition of a black Toyota car used in the shooting, targeting individuals he perceived as rivals. Judge Mark Bryant-Heron QC highlighted Lacroix's thirst for revenge, stemming from a previous gang-related altercation, as a driving force behind the violence.

Detective Inspector Darren Jones, from the Specialist Crime Trident Investigation team, emphasised the gravity of the gang's actions, noting the enduring trauma inflicted upon the victims. 

As investigations persist to identify a third individual involved in the shooting, the community grapples with the lasting repercussions of senseless violence unleashed upon unsuspecting mourners.

‍