Meshaq Berryman (Image: WMP)

First picture of Birmingham wake shooter as police say it 'could have been triple murder probe'

by · Birmingham Live

This is the first photo of a gunman who tried to kill mourners in a wake shooting that 'could have easily been a triple murder'. Meshaq Berryman targeted the wake of a teenage stab victim in a bid to murder rival gang members, a court heard.

He believed people with links to Birmingham gangs would be gathered at the St Mary's Church Hall wake for Akeem Bailey, who was himself stabbed to death aged just 17. Four people were injured as Berryman blasted the firearm from the backseat of a Nissan Qashqai in the drive-by attack.

Three teenagers were shot - including one in the chest, another in the foot and a third in the knee. It was only by luck, police now say, that it did not become a triple murder investigation.

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A schoolgirl aged 14 was also injured as people fleeing gunshots knocked her over and trampled her. Det Insp Nock, from the major crime team at West Midlands Police, 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."

The shooting took place in Hamstead Road, Lozells at around 6pm on February 24, last year. Four shots were fired from the back of a stolen Qashqai towards a crowd of people. The car sped off before being found abandoned two miles away in Nechells the next day.

A man aged 19 was shot in the chest and another man the same age was hit in the left foot. An 18-year-old man was hit in the right knee, while a girl aged 14 was hurt when she was knocked over and trampled as people fled the gunshots, police say.

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Berryman was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder after a three week-trial at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this year. He 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 6 December. Det Insp Nock continued: “We put a huge number of officers into the investigation, to ensure we had a really clear picture of what had happened. 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.”