Family's plea after loving father shot dead in ‘case of mistaken identity'

Independent

5 hours ago

The 'devastated' family of a father shot dead in a reported case of mistaken identity in north London have made a desperate appeal for information about his murder.
The Metropolitan Police said Mahad Abdi Mohamed, 27, had spent the evening shortly before the shooting with his friend at their home on 20 March.
They were breaking their fast outside on Waverley Road, Tottenham when a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander approached and the suspects inside opened fire.
Mahad was struck multiple times at 8.45pm and he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
DCI Rebecca Woodsford said the suspects got out of a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander, which was later found burned out, and fired the gunshots that killed him.
Police previously said they had arrested four adult men on suspicion of murder who were subsequently bailed.
Mr Abdi Mohamed's younger sister, Amal Abdi Mohamed, 23, said he was a 'loving father' to his son and was planning to get married in the summer.
She added that her brother had worked at Waterloo Station, as well as part-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Royal Ascot as a security worker.
Appealing for information on her brother's death, the 23-year-old said: 'My beloved brother is gone, and we still don't know why.
'Someone knows what happened to him, and yet we are here with no answer, no justice, and just a family torn apart trying to navigate through the pain.
'He was taken away from us through gun violence. A bullet didn't just take his life, it tore through our family, through our heart and it's truly shocking, it's devastating, and it's so senseless, because this type of violence should never be normal.
'It should never be something a family ever has to expect, prepare for, or live with.'
Amal said Mr Abdi Mohamed was the 'kind of person who can light up any room without even trying'.
She added: 'He had this rare gift of making people feel seen, heard and loved, and if you were having a bad day, you would just want to be around him.
'He was funny, he was honest, and he was just a good person.'
Many of Mr Abdi Mohamed's family members were in tears as they visited the scene of his murder as part of the appeal for information.
Amal said that Mr Abdi Mohamed's five-year-old son 'looked up to him like a superhero'.
She added: 'How do you look at a child who adored him day and night, and tell them that he's gone and you don't have the answers why? That boy will have to grow up with no dad.
'If you think you may know anything or have seen anything – you may think it doesn't matter, but it might be the key to giving us an answer, and it might be the thing that finally lets our family take a breath.
'To stay silent is to be complicit.'
DCI Woodsford, the senior investigating officer into the murder, said Mr Abdi Mohamed was a 'much-loved son, brother and father', adding that his family were 'devastated' by the murder.
Appealing for information, DCI Woodsford said: 'We believe he is a completely innocent person in this and actually this is a case of mistaken identity.
'I believe this was a pre-planned shooting, although I also believe that Mahad was killed mistakenly, those suspects were out that night to murder someone and cause serious harm.
'And I truly believe that somebody does know some information about this.'
The police officer added: 'If you think you have information about the people that could be involved, the people that might have helped or burned the vehicle out, I'm appealing for people to come forward.
'What's crucial to us are witnesses and ultimately we need that evidence to place before the Crown Prosecution Service, and be able to charge people and put them in front of the courts.'
Anyone with information can contact the police by giving the reference CAD7426/20March, or to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.