Horrifying CCTV shows moment three mourners are shot in drive-by shooting at funeral
A gunman has been found guilty of trying to murder mourners at a wake for a teenage knife crime victim in a drive-by shooting which left four people, including a girl aged 14, injured.
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Hide AdThe shooting happened at a gathering in memory of Akeem Bailey, 17, who was stabbed to death in October, 2022.
Mourners had gathered at St Mary’s Church Hall on Hamstead Road, Lozells, on the evening of 24 February, 2023.
At around 6pm, four shots were fired from a stolen Nissan Qashqai towards a crowd of people before the car sped off.
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Hide AdA man aged 19 was shot in the chest and another man the same age was hit in the left foot.
An 18-year-old man was hit in the right knee, while a girl aged 14 was hurt when she was knocked over and trampled as people fled the gunshots.
Meshaq Berryman was identified as the gunman who opened fire from a rear passenger seat of the vehicle.
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Hide AdThe next day the car was found abandoned two miles away in Little Francis Grove, Nechells.
After a three week-trial at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this year, Berryman was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder.
Another man was cleared of three attempted murder charges after a trial which started earlier this month at Birmingham Crown Court.
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Hide AdBerryman had earlier admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and cannabis, after more than 40 wraps of drugs, along with digital scales were found at his home. He will be sentenced 6 December.
Det Insp Francis Nock, from our Major Crime Team, said: “This was a targeted shooting at a gathering of people who had come to pay their respects to a young man who had himself lost his life to violent crime.
“While the young man who died did not have connections to gangs, Berryman believed there would be people linked to gangs at his wake.
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Hide Ad“This could easily have been a triple murder investigation and it’s by luck really that people weren’t killed on that evening.
“We put a huge number of officers into the investigation, to ensure we had a really clear picture of what had happened. CCTV, mobile phone and forensic evidence placed Berryman in the car at the time that the shots were fired and he is now facing many years behind bars.
“Gun crime causes absolute misery to the families of those who are injured or killed, and can spread fear among residents whose neighbour hoods are impacted. Our Major Crime Teams work with local officers to build a clear picture of who is involved in gun crime in an area and take decisive action to get them off the streets and put them behind bars.”
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