Drive-by gunman tried to murder Birmingham mourners at a wake for a teenage knife victim

Meshaq Berryman
-Credit: (Image: WMP)


A drive-by gunman tried to murder mourners at a wake for a teenage knife victim, it now can be revealed. A schoolgirl aged 14 was among four people injured as the armed thug opened fire at St Mary's Church Hall in Lozells.

Shots were blasted on February 24 last year as mourners gathered in memory of 17-year-old Akeem Bailey - a teenager who was stabbed to death in a phone row. At around 6pm, four shots were fired from a stolen Nissan Qashqai towards a crowd of people before the car sped off from Hamstead Road.

Two 19-year-olds were shot, one in the chest and another in the left foot. A man aged 18 was hit in the right knee, while a girl aged 14 was injured when people fleeing gunshots knocked her over and 'trampled her'.

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Police later found the Nissan Qashqai abandoned two miles away in Little Francis Grove, Nechells. Meshaq Berryman, who opened fire from the back seat of the vehicle, believed rival gang members would be at the wake - despite Mr Bailey hailing no links to gangs.

He was found guilty of three attempted murder charges at a three week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, it has now emerged. Berryman 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 on December 6. Although he was convicted earlier this year, the full details could not be reported until now. Today (TUE) Modou Leigh, was cleared of allegations of three counts of attempted murder, as a jury found him not guilty.

Det Insp Francis Nock, from the force's 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.

“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.

The scene of a triple shooting at St Mary's Church on Hamstead Road, Handsworth on February 24, 2023
The scene of a triple shooting at St Mary's Church on Hamstead Road, Handsworth on February 24, 2023

"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.”

Have you been affected by this incident? You can contact us by emailing stephanie.balloo@reachplc.com