A total of four individuals have now been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of a woman near a church in north-west London. Perry Allen-Thomas, Shaquille Sutherland and Amir Salem, all from Wembley, north-west London, have been charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder. Tahjin Sommersal, from Feltham in west London, was charged with the same offences earlier in the week. The Met Police reported on Saturday that they had been charged over the incident on the night of 14 December last year in which 44-year-old Michelle Sadio died outside the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church, while two men in their 30s were also injured.
Sadio was attending a wake at the church at the time of the incident. Sommersal was charged on Wednesday and the others on Thursday. Throughout the investigation, the police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them in order to help them build a clear picture of what happened. Following the charges, the police thanked all the witnesses who have come forward so far but continue to urge anyone with further information to get in touch.
The charges bring a grim reminder of gun crime to London, after a year in which the use of guns was significantly lower than in recent years due to the effects of COVID-19. Despite a fall in numbers, the force has continued to work to combat the issue, with the number of stop and searches rising 50% year on year at the end of August 2020. This latest incident is unlikely to improve the situation, and Metropolitan Police Borough Commander for Brent and Harrow, Roy Smith, thanked the community for support following Sadio’s death.
