The mother of a 15-year-old boy shot dead at a Notting Hill Carnival warm-up event has spoken of her devastation as her son's killer remains at large eight months on.
Rene Graham was gunned down in front of hundreds of partygoers at Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park in Ladbroke Grove on July 21, 2024.
"It's broken, shattered my life... It's killing me on the inside," said Janay John-Francois, describing her son as a "vibrant" teenager with the "biggest heart".
Ms John-Francois expressed anger over the lack of progress in the murder investigation, telling Sky News: "I'm fuming because right now it seems I'm not going to get justice for my son."
She questioned how such a violent crime could go unsolved despite numerous witnesses, saying: "How does that happen? In broad daylight with over a thousand people in that small park?... it's beyond me."
The grieving mother added that she cannot begin to process her loss – nor will she feel safe – until her son's killer is brought to justice.
She said: "I go down that road and I am looking over my shoulder. I don't know who it could be, and that messes up your head. Because you are thinking, is my family safe? Do they know who I am?"
"You can't live like that", Ms John-Francois added.
The Metropolitan Police says it has issued four separate police appeals and continues to appeal for witnesses to come forward with information.
But it adds that the response so far has been "minimal".
