A gunman who shot a 15-year-old boy dead in a children's play area during a family music festival in west London, then tried to kill a second man moments later, has been convicted of murder and attempted murder.
Aderahman Boumzough, 25, calmly approached the children’s play area of Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park in Ladbroke Grove on 21 July 2024, just before 7.20pm, and fired a single shot at Rene Graham. The teenager suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and died at the scene as a family music festival was taking place in the lead-up to the Notting Hill Carnival.
“Aderahman Boumzough, 25, convicted of murdering 15-year-old Rene Graham in a children’s play area during a music festival in west London.”
Boumzough then left the park and chased another man through the streets, pulling out a gun and attempting to shoot him. Shocking footage released by the Metropolitan Police shows the moment he aimed the weapon at his second victim and pulled the trigger – but the gun jammed, and Boumzough fled.
A murder investigation was launched immediately, and a growing body of evidence led detectives to Boumzough. He was arrested on 2 September last year and later charged. Enquiries into his phone uncovered a video in which Boumzough rapped while appearing to reference the firearm malfunction, saying: “don’t you hate it when your ting jams? I was prepared to take soul, but Allah had a different plan.”
Following a two-week trial, Boumzough was found guilty of murder and attempted murder. He faces life in jail when he is sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 3 July.
Rene’s heartbroken mother, Janay John-Francois, had previously spoken of her devastation. “It's broken, shattered my life... It's killing me on the inside,” she said, describing her son as a “vibrant” teenager with the “biggest heart”. While her son’s killer remained at large for months after the killing, Ms John-Francois expressed anger over the lack of progress, telling Sky News: “I'm fuming because right now it seems I'm not going to get justice for my son.” She questioned how such a violent crime could go unsolved despite numerous witnesses: “How does that happen? In broad daylight with over a thousand people in that small park?... it's beyond me.”
Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who led the investigation, thanked a small pocket of the Ladbroke Grove community for their support following the conviction. She said: “Following Rene’s senseless murder, we made a direct plea to both the Ladbroke Grove community and those who had attended the event where he lost his life. A year on, we renewed that appeal, urging anyone with information…”