Drill rappers guilty of murdering 18-year-old who was shot dead

Two drill rappers have been found guilty of murdering an 18-year-old man, in an escalation of a gang dispute that began on social media.

Emmanuel Popoola, 18, shot Keanu Harker in the head and chest with a pistol in north London, after chasing him on the back of a high-powered electric dirt bike ridden by Teyvon Etefia, also 18.

On Monday, Popoola and Etefia, both from Enfield, were found guilty of murder and possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life at the Old Bailey.

The killing took place amid a flurry of violent incidents related to the rivalry between two Enfield gangs, the 3×3 gang, and the Get Money Gang (GMG).

The row erupted on Snapchat when comments were made, through voice messages, implying that Popoola did not have the money to buy data for his mobile phone, the court heard.

Later, gang members bragged about the murder in drill rap videos, jurors were told.

Popoola had performed under the drill rap name Constancy and Etefia rapped under the name Take Risks, the jury heard.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley KC said: "The speed of the Sur-Ron bike that Emmanuel Popoola and Tayvon Etefia were on meant they gained ground on Keanu Harker very quickly and, as they rode alongside him, Emmanuel Popoola shot him."

"He fired three shots from a very short distance. Two of them struck Keanu Harker in the head and chest. Tayvon Etefia did not flinch.

"Keanu Harker immediately fell off his bicycle on to the road. He was fatally injured but somehow managed to crawl a short distance into the front garden of a residential address just off the Great Cambridge Road.

"Emmanuel Popoola and Tayvon did not stop. They continued to make good their escape."

After hearing the gunshots, witnesses discovered Mr Harker's bike on the road covered in blood and followed the trail to the victim. Mr Harker died at the scene.

Following the shooting, the defendants dumped the e-bike, discarded their clothes and Etefia disposed of a machete.

They were then collected in a car driven by fellow drill rapper Eliezer Mbaki, 25, who was known as Spider, and a youth recovered the e-bike.

Escape to France

Popoola boarded a one-way Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Paris with the help of his girlfriend Anais King, 19, within days of the shooting.

Etefia booked his own ticket but was arrested by police two minutes before the train was due to depart.

Detectives worked with French police to follow King to Popoola's flat, where he was arrested.

Popoola was extradited from France to London and King was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Giving evidence, Popoola denied being involved in the shooting but was implicated by Etefia, who told jurors he had been on the back of his e-bike but denied knowing he had a gun.

Jurors also convicted Mbaki, from Tottenham, King, from Enfield, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, of perverting the course of justice.

'A lifetime of pain'

Following the verdicts, Mr Harker's family said: "Our son had just turned 18 when these individuals decided to take his life," adding, "We hope this case opens people's eyes to how damaging gang culture has become for young people. Too many children are losing their lives, and too many families are being left to suffer unimaginable heartbreak.

"Something must change before more young lives are taken and more parents are forced to endure the pain that we now live with every day."

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Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who led the investigation, said: "Our painstaking investigation established that Keanu was murdered because his killers took offence to something that was said in a social media group chat.

"Rather than ignore the comments, Emmanuel Popoola armed himself with a pistol and with the help of Teyvon Etefia carried out a drive-by shooting.

"This was cowardly and disproportionate violence that has understandably shocked the community."

Etefia and Popoola will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday and Friday.

The other defendants will be sentenced on a later date.

(c) Sky News 2026: Drill rappers guilty of murdering 18-year-old who was shot dead