A drive-by shooting outside a church in North West London, England on the night of December 14, 2024 left a mother of two dead and two others injured. The incident occurred when mourners were attending a traditional wake ceremony. Michelle Sadio, 46, from Walthamstow, East London, was among the victims.
The tragic event unfolded outside the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church in Harlesden when a vehicle stopped and shots were fired into the crowd. At the time, Sadio was outside the church, attending the nine-night ceremony in honor of the late Dinah Boateng, 80, who had passed away on December 5.
A friend of Sadio, who wished to remain anonymous, recalled the event, “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 other men, both in their 30s, were also victims of the shooting. One man, from Dagenham, was injured in the foot, while another from Wood Green was critically wounded with a shot in the back.
The shooting took place around 9:15 p.m., with approximately 150 people, predominantly elderly individuals and families with children, in attendance at the ceremony. The suspect, who is still on the loose, reportedly fired a semiautomatic weapon from a black car.
According to Sadio’s friend, “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.”
Authorities are considering the possibility that the shooting is linked to an ongoing feud between two local gangs, the Church Road gang (CSB or Crime Scene Boyz) and their rivals in nearby Stonebridge (TOS, Thugs of Stonebridge). This conflict has been ongoing for over two decades.
“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,” said Superintendent Tony Josephs from the North West Command Unit.
The Metropolitan Police has initiated a murder investigation. CCTV footage showing the moment the vehicle stopped and began firing, causing mourners to scatter in all directions, has been obtained. As the investigation continues, specialist officers are providing support to Sadio’s family, including her children.
Pastor Lawrence Larbie of the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church confirmed that the victims were attendees of the nine-night ceremony for 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 end.