🚨 MY SON HAD JUST TURNED 18… — KEANU HARKER’S FAMILY BREAKS DOWN AS THEY SPEAK OUT AFTER THEIR SON WAS SH0T DE-AD, WITH HEARTBREAKING WORDS REVEALING ONE THING THEY WILL NEVER FORGET
Keanu Harker (left) pictured alongside Eliezer Mbaki, Tayvon Etefia and Emmanuel Popoola (Image: Met Police)
The family of an 18-year-old who was shot dead following a dispute on social media have said they hope the case “opens people’s eyes to how damaging gang culture has become for young people”.
Two men have been convicted of murdering 18-year-old Keanu Harker, who was shot dead in Enfield following a dispute on social media.
Officers arrested one suspect two minutes before his train was due to leave for France, before building the case against the killers with the help of digital forensics teams.
It resulted in two men, Emmanuel Popoola and Tayvon Etefia, both 18, being convicted today (Monday, July 6) of the murder of Keanu Harker following a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.
They will be sentenced on Thursday, July 9 and Friday, July 10.
Eliezer Mbaki, 25, Anais King, 19, and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were convicted of assisting an offender.
In a statement, Keanu Harker’s family said: “Our son had just turned 18 when these individuals decided to take his life.
“We are grateful that some measure of justice has been served, but no amount of time they spend in prison will ever be enough for us.
“We have been left with a lifetime of pain and loss that can never be undone.
“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.
“We would also like to thank the police officers involved for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless hard work throughout this investigation.
“Their commitment to seeking justice for my son and our family has meant a great deal to us.
“In particular, we would like to thank Jess, our Family Liaison Officer.
“We genuinely do not know how we would have made it through the court process without your support, guidance, kindness, and compassion.
“You were there for us during the most difficult time of our lives, and we will always be grateful for everything you did for our family.
“We would also like to thank the members of the public who came forward with information and assisted the investigation.
“Your support and courage have helped bring us this measure of justice, and we are truly grateful.
“While nothing can ever bring our son back, we hope that his story serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of violence and that it encourages people to help prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreaking loss.”
Police were called at around 20:45hrs on June 26, 2025 to reports of a shooting in Great Cambridge Road, Enfield.
The victim, 18-year-old Keanu Harker, from Enfield, had suffered gunshot wounds to his head and chest.
He was taken to hospital but despite the efforts of medical staff he was pronounced dead later that evening.
Early enquiries established that Keanu was shot while cycling his bicycle.
He had been tailed by two men on a Sur-Ron e-bike.
Tayvon Etefia, then 17, was behind the controls of the e-bike.
His passenger, Emmanuel Popoola, also then aged 17, was the gunman.
After shooting Keanu, the pair sped off toward Enfield Town Park, where they dumped the e-bike, discarded clothing and Etefia got rid of a machete in a neighbouring garden.
Eyewitnesses saw them walking away from the park, noting that both were wearing balaclavas despite it having been a hot June day.
A woman saw that one of the men – who police later established from CCTV enquiries was Etefia – had stripped to shorts and T-shirt, and had a gun-shaped object in his pocket.
They were collected by associate Eliezer Mbaki in a black Ford Focus and driven away.
A then 16-year-old boy, who had been with the killers earlier in the evening, was sent to Enfield Town Park to recover the e-bike.
In the days after the murder, officers reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from the area and were able to identify Etefia and Popoola as the men on the e-bike.
Footage showed both men speaking with friends at a sports court in Enfield Town Park minutes before the murder.
Popoola showed off an item inside a plastic bag he was holding, which detectives believed concealed the gun that killed Keanu.
Digital forensics experts were able to access mobile phones belonging to the victim and Popoola.
They revealed a series of voice messages between the youths, shared on a Snapchat ‘group chat’ for members of rival street gangs in the Enfield area.
The group chat messages, which had been saved on the devices’ hard drives, showed how Popoola was angered by comments implying that he did not have the money to buy data for his mobile phone.
Prosecutors played the messages at the killers’ trial this month, together with drill rap videos that showed gang members bragging about Keanu’s murder.
On June 28, 2025, two days after the killing, Popoola’s girlfriend Anais King paid £269 for a one-way train ticket to take the killer from London St Pancras to Paris.
He left the UK for Paris on the 7pm service on 28 June 2025.
Etefia booked himself a train ticket to Paris on 29 June 2025.
His train was due to leave around 90 minutes later at 8:31pm.
Detectives were tracking Etefia’s spending and received information about the booking.
He went through security at London St Pancras station at 8:05pm and boarded the train five minutes later.
But he never made it to Paris.
The investigation team alerted British Transport Police and officers boarded the train and arrested him at 8:29pm – two minutes before the service was due to depart.
While Popoola remained in the French capital, police focused their attention on the suspect’s girlfriend.
They made plans to meet each other in Paris, with Popoola providing her with a list of items he wanted her to bring, including nail clippers, a comb and deodorant.
On July 31, 2025, King booked a Eurostar ticket for August 3.
Detectives received information about the booking and devised a plan to get the girlfriend to lead them to Popoola.
Met officers worked alongside French police, who monitored King on her arrival at Gare du Nord on August 3, 2025.
She took a taxi to Popoola’s apartment, where he was arrested by the Paris gendarmes.
He was extradited from France to London on August 14.
French police returned King to London by train and she was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender on her return to St Pancras station.
The following defendants have been convicted of murder and possession of a firearm:
Emmanuel Popoola, 18 (23.12.07), of Carnarvon Avenue, Enfield.
Tayvon Etefia, 18 (24.11.07), of Great Cambridge Road, Enfield.
He also admitted possession of a bladed article.
The following defendants have been convicted of assisting an offender:
Eliezer Mbaki, 25 (08.07.00), of Oulton Road, Tottenham.
Anais King, 19 (25.05.07), of Bullsmoor Ride, Enfield.
A 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Popoola, Etefia and Mbaki will be sentenced on Thursday, July 9 and Friday, July 10.
The youth will be sentenced on Friday, August 7 and King will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
SOURCE: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/family-18-old-shot-dead-192525960.html