Police have issued new CCTV images and offered a £20,000 reward as they appeal for information about the unsolved murder of a young man in northeast London.
Alex Ajanaku, 18, was fatally shot on the Beaumont Estate in Leyton, Waltham Forest, around 1.25am on Wednesday, 1 September 2021.
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation and arrested a 43-year-old man on suspicion of murder the next day but he was later released with no further action.
Detectives believe Ajanaku, who was from south London, had been at an unlicensed music event on the Beaumont Estate on the evening of Tuesday, 31 August.
The majority of people had left the area by the time of the shooting, but a small group remained and were sitting on a bench when shots were fired.
The vehicle that is believed to have been used by those who carried out the shooting was a black Kia Sportage which had been stolen from Chingford shortly before midnight on Monday, 16 August 2021.
The car was found abandoned and fire damaged in Walthamstow, northeast London, on 3 September 2021.
Detectives have also released CCTV footage of the Kia in Leyton near the Beaumont Estate shortly before Alex was killed.
Detective Sergeant Fenton Davis, of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “We are releasing a short clip of the Sportage and are appealing for information about where it was in the days leading up to, and immediately following, the murder. We believe the car has links to Leyton, Walthamstow and Upper Clapton.
“Alex was just 18 when he was murdered. His life was brutally ended before it had really begun, leaving his family devastated and desperate for answers.
“There are people out there who know who was responsible for Alex’s death and also know important information about the use and subsequent damage to the stolen Kia. I urge those people to come forward and provide the information to police.”
Anyone with information should call the incident room directly on 020 8345 3775 or the general police non-emergency number 101. They can also tweet @metcc.
To remain 100 per cent anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
