The killers shot 18-year-old Keanu Harker in Great Cambridge Road following a dispute on social media
Two gang members have been convicted of murdering an Enfield teenager in a ride-by shooting last summer, with two others found guilty of assisting them.
Keanu Harker, who had just turned 18, was shot in his head and chest at around 8.45pm on Thursday, 26th June 2025 in Great Cambridge Road, between Bush Hill Park and Southbury. He later died from his injuries.
Keanu’s killers were riding an e-bike when the murder took place. It followed a dispute on social media.
Officers arrested one suspect two minutes before his train was due to leave for France, before building the case against the killers with the help of digital forensics teams.
It has resulted in two 18-year-old men being convicted yesterday (Monday 6th) following a six-week trial at the Old Bailey. They will be sentenced later this week.
Tayvon Etefia, of Great Cambridge Road, and Emmanuel Popoola, of Carnarvon Avenue in Enfield Town, were both found guilty of murder and possession of a firearm.
Keanu was murdered because his killers took offence to something that was said in a social media group chat.
Following the convictions, a detective described the murder of Keanu as a “cowardly” act which “shocked the community”.
Eliezer Mbaki, aged 25 and of Oulton Road in Tottenham, and Anais King, aged 19 and of Bullsmoor Ride in Bullsmoor, plus a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, were all convicted of assisting an offender.
In a statement, Keanu Harker’s family said: “Our son had just turned 18 when these individuals decided to take his life. We are grateful that some measure of justice has been served, but no amount of time they spend in prison will ever be enough for us. We have been left with a lifetime of pain and loss that can never be undone.
“We hope this case opens people’s eyes to how damaging gang culture has become for young people. Too many children are losing their lives, and too many families are being left to suffer unimaginable heartbreak. Something must change before more young lives are taken and more parents are forced to endure the pain that we now live with every day.
“We would also like to thank the police officers involved for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless hard work throughout this investigation. Their commitment to seeking justice for my son and our family has meant a great deal to us. In particular, we would like to thank Jess, our family liaison officer. We genuinely do not know how we would have made it through the court process without your support, guidance, kindness, and compassion. You were there for us during the most difficult time of our lives, and we will always be grateful for everything you did for our family.
“We would also like to thank the members of the public who came forward with information and assisted the investigation. Your support and courage have helped bring us this measure of justice, and we are truly grateful.
“While nothing can ever bring our son back, we hope that his story serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of violence and that it encourages people to help prevent other families from experiencing the same heart-breaking loss.”
Early police enquiries established that Keanu was shot while riding his bicycle. He had been tailed by two teens on an e-bike. Tayvon Etefia, then 17, was behind the controls of the e-bike. His passenger, Emmanuel Popoola, also then aged 17, was the gunman.
After shooting Keanu the pair sped off towards Town Park in Enfield Town, where they dumped the e-bike, discarded clothing and Etefia got rid of a machete in a neighbouring garden.
Eyewitnesses saw them walking away from the park, noting that both were wearing balaclavas despite it having been a hot, June day. A woman saw that one of the men – who police later established from CCTV enquiries was Etefia – had stripped to shorts and T-shirt, and had a gun-shaped object in his pocket.
They were collected by associate Eliezer Mbaki in a black Ford Focus and driven away. A then 16-year-old boy, who had been with the killers earlier in the evening, was sent to Town Park to recover the e-bike.
In the days after the murder, officers reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from the area and were able to identify Etefia and Popoola as the men on the e-bike.
Footage showed both speaking with friends at a sports court in Town Park minutes before the murder. Popoola showed off an item inside a plastic bag he was holding, which detectives believed concealed the gun that killed Keanu.
Digital forensics experts were able to access mobile phones belonging to the victim and Popoola. They revealed a series of voice messages between the youths, shared on a Snapchat ‘group chat’ for members of rival street gangs in the Enfield area.
The group chat messages, which had been saved on the devices’ hard drives, showed how Popoola was angered by comments implying that he did not have the money to buy data for his mobile phone.
Prosecutors played the messages at the killers’ trial this month, together with drill rap videos that showed gang members bragging about Keanu’s murder.
On 28th June 2025, two days after the killing, Popoola’s girlfriend Anais King paid £269 for a one-way train ticket to take the killer from London to Paris. He left the UK for Paris on the 7pm service that day. Etefia booked himself a train ticket to Paris on 29th June 2025. His train was due to leave around 90 minutes later at 8.31pm.
Detectives were tracking Etefia’s spending and received information about the booking. He went through security at London St Pancras Station at 8.05pm and boarded the train five minutes later.
But he never made it to Paris. The investigation team alerted British Transport Police and officers boarded the train and arrested him at 8.29pm, two minutes before the service was due to depart.
While Popoola remained in the French capital, police focused their attention on the suspect’s girlfriend. They made plans to meet each other in Paris, with Popoola providing her with a list of items he wanted her to bring, including nail clippers, a comb and deodorant.
On 31st July 2025, King booked a Eurostar ticket for 3rd August. Detectives received information about the booking and devised a plan to get the girlfriend to lead them to Popoola.
Met officers worked alongside French police, who monitored King on her arrival at Gare du Nord on 3rd August 2025. She took a taxi to Popoola’s apartment, where he was arrested by the Paris police. He was extradited from France to London on 14th August.
French police returned King to London by train and she was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender on her return to St Pancras Station.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who led the investigation, said: “This is a tragic case that yet again demonstrates why our commitment to tackling serious violence is so important.“Our painstaking investigation established that Keanu was murdered because his killers took offence to something that was said in a social media group chat.
“Rather than ignore the comments, Emmanuel Popoola armed himself with a pistol and with the help of Tayvon Etefia carried out a drive-by shooting. This was cowardly and disproportionate violence that has understandably shocked the community.
“We spent months building a comprehensive case against the killers and those who tried to help them, and I am pleased to have been able to secure justice for Keanu’s family.”
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