A newlywed father has died in hospital from gunshot wounds — nine years after his sibling was murdered.
Mark McCann-Barrett’s relatives today spoke of their “indescribable” pain as a second family member was killed in London.
The 33-year-old was found by police and paramedics collapsed with severe injuries inside a flat in Northumberland Park, Tottenham, at around 9.30am on September 17.
Scotland Yard launched a murder investigation when the father-of-three, from Waltham Cross, lost his two-week fight for life on Monday.
In 2010, Jacqueline Barrett, 34, was beaten with a fire extinguisher and strangled in a frenzied attack by her controlling boyfriend in their Cricklewood home.
Leah McCann, a cousin, told the Standard the family was “heartbroken”.
Mark McCann-Barrett married his partner of 19 years in March and had two girls and a boy, aged five to eight.
Ms McCann said: “It’s a lot to deal with and take in. He lost his sister to murder as well. Everyone has just been through so much already, but we’ve now got to go through all of this again.”
She added: “His mother was beside him when he died, she never left his side the whole time he was in the hospital.
“Mark always tried his best to help others who were struggling in life, he always looked at the good in people he always helped many people out there.
“His family was always his main priority and his children were his world. Now their world has literally been turned upside down because of this.
“You sit and you think that will never happen to my family, we’re alright. And then it does happen, and for it to happen twice ... it’s just indescribable.”
She said the family was still unsure why Mr McCann-Barrett was in Tottenham when he was shot.
A 67-year-old resident said she heard several shots and then screams for help. “I was in bed and I heard a man shouting ‘help, help’. It is very sad. The police have been guarding the top flat for two weeks but no-one knows what’s happening.”
A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place at Haringey Mortuary today. Mr McCann-Barrett is the 113th person to be killed in the capital so far this year.
Houssam Djemaa is serving a life sentence after being convicted of Jacqueline Barrett’s murder in June 2011.
Her mother Angela Barrett said at the time of that killing: “I have been struggling to come to terms with what has happened, I keep thinking she is coming home.”
Louis Kelly, 39, of St John’s Wood, was charged with attempted murder and appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday. Police inquiries continue.
