A drive-by shooting at a wake ceremony outside a church in North West London, England, on the evening of Saturday, December 14, 2024, resulted in the death of a mother of two and left two others injured. Mourners were gathered at the event to pay their respects and celebrate a life lived.
The victim, identified as Michelle Sadio, 46, hailed from Walthamstow, East London. She was shot as a car drove by and sprayed bullets at the crowd outside the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church in Harlesden. Sadio was attending a nine-night ceremony in honor of Dinah Boateng, an 80-year-old congregant who passed away on December 5.
A friend of Sadio, who wished to remain unnamed, stated, “The nine-night ceremony was a beautiful occasion to mark Aunty Dinah, who was part of the church’s congregation for many years. There was nobody there who had any kind of gang affiliation.”
Two additional male victims in their 30s were injured in the shooting. One man from Dagenham was hit in the foot, while another man from Wood Green suffered a back injury and was in critical condition in the hospital.
The shooting took place around 9:15 p.m., interrupting the ceremony attended by approximately 150 individuals, mainly older people and families with children. The assailant, who is still on the loose, is suspected to have used a semiautomatic weapon and fired from a black car.
Recalling the tragic event, Sadio’s friend said, “Michelle was stopped by someone just before she went outside. She was asked if she was going home and said she wasn’t but wanted to take a breather outside. The music was quite loud. The first we knew something had happened was when people ran in screaming about shots being fired and people being hit.”
Police are exploring the possibility of the shooting being connected to a long-standing feud between two local gangs—the Church Road gang (also known as CSB or Crime Scene Boyz) and their rivals from nearby Stonebridge (TOS, Thugs of Stonebridge)—which has been ongoing for over two decades.
Superintendent Tony Josephs from the North West Command Unit expressed his shock over the incident, stating, “This is a truly shocking incident that has left a woman dead and two others injured, and I understand the concern this will cause the local community and those across London.”
The Metropolitan Police has initiated a murder investigation. CCTV footage showing the moment the vehicle pulled up and opened fire was captured, with mourners seen fleeing in every direction. Specialist officers are providing support to Sadio’s family, including her children, as the investigation proceeds.
Pastor Lawrence Larbie of the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church confirmed that the victims were attendees of the nine-night ceremony for Mrs. Boateng, a native of Kumasi, Ghana. The event was scheduled to conclude at 10 p.m., but the shooting occurred approximately 45 minutes before its scheduled end.
