Two teenage drill rappers have been convicted of murder at the Old Bailey following a fatal confrontation in Enfield that investigators say was triggered by a trivial social media dispute.
Emmanuel Popoola, 18, and Tayvon Etefia, 18, were found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Keanu Harker last June. The jury also convicted the pair of possessing a self-loading pistol with the intent to endanger life.
The court heard that the violence stemmed from a deep-seated rivalry between two local gangs, the 3×3 and the Get Money Gang (GMG). Prosecutors revealed that the fatal encounter was sparked by a series of voice messages exchanged on Snapchat, which included taunts suggesting that Popoola—who performed under the drill alias “Constancy”—could not afford mobile data.
On the day of the attack, Etefia allegedly operated a high-powered Sur-Ron electric bike while Popoola rode pillion. The pair tracked Mr. Harker as he rode his bicycle before drawing alongside him and firing three shots at close range. Despite suffering fatal wounds to the head and chest, Mr. Harker managed to crawl into a nearby residential garden before he succumbed to his injuries.
Following the killing, the attackers discarded their clothing and the electric bike, with Etefia also abandoning a machete in a nearby garden. Both defendants subsequently attempted to flee the country via the Eurostar.
Etefia was apprehended by police at London’s St Pancras station just two minutes before his train was scheduled to depart. Popoola, who had successfully reached Paris with the assistance of his girlfriend, Anais King, was later arrested by French authorities and extradited back to the UK.
While Popoola denied involvement in the shooting, Etefia testified that he had been operating the bike but claimed he was unaware his passenger was armed.
In addition to the murder convictions, three others—Eliezer Mbaki, Anais King, and a 17-year-old who cannot be legally named—were found guilty of perverting the course of justice for their roles in assisting the offenders.
In a statement following the verdict, Mr. Harker’s family expressed the profound impact of their loss. “Our son had just turned 18 when these individuals decided to take his life,” they said. “We hope this case opens people’s eyes to how damaging gang culture has become for young people.”
Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who led the investigation, described the killing as an act of “cowardly and disproportionate violence” that left the community shocked.
The primary defendants are scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey later this week.
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