By James Simons-
A man killed at a funeral wake in north-west London was killed as part of a revenge attack, locals are saying.
Billy McCullagh, 27, was found by police with a gunshot injury in Windrush Road, Harlesden, at about 3am on Thursday after up to 9 shots were fired in full view of a gathering which dispersed at the sounds of the shots.
Over 100 people had been at a Caribbean “nine-nights” celebration in honour of another man who died a week earlier. Lots of people attended the wake, and now anonymous sources who seem to have caught good wind of what happened say the murder was likely related to the killing of the wake of the man being celebrated.
A few others present at the wake who were tracked down through inquiry. Speculation about exactly what the connection is cannot be published for legal reasons, and truth can sometimes be lost in the midst of rumours, especially in subcultures where there serious confrontations among youths occur for many different reasons
Locals in the area are shocked about the execution which many are relating to another killing in one of Britain’s most notorious places for gang killing.
Locals were not prepared to have their names on record, but there are rumours circulating about what caused the killing. Two men, aged 19 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday and bailed until August.
Individuals gather at funeral wakes in numbers to celebrate the life of the victim. This also provides an opportunity for many of those in the area to inform rival gang members about the presence of someone in the area with whom they have a grievance. The perpetrators targeted their victim and snuffed him away without a concern in the world
Police said a metallic grey Land Rover Discovery was found burnt out in the area of the St Raphael’s Estate, Neasden, shortly after the shooting. Officers believe it may be connected with the incident.
They are appealing for anyone with footage relating to the incident to get in touch.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Stancombe, who leads the investigation, said: “We know that a number of shots were fired and, despite it being in the early hours of the morning, several people were out in the street and would have seen what happened.
“A man has died and his loved ones will now face terrible grief. The person responsible for this killing does not deserve protection and anyone who has information should come forward and speak to us.
“I am appealing to anyone with phone footage of the incident, or in the moments before and after, to come forward. You could be holding vital clues and, by sending it to us, you can help keep our communities safer.”
‘I have got a dedicated team who will be trawling through CCTV for evidence and making sure no stone is left unturned as we try and track whoever took this young man’s life.’