Three men have been sentenced to a combined total of more than 60 years in prison for attempted murder following a targeted shooting at a family home in Perry Barr, Birmingham, last year.
On the evening of 18 May 2024, at approximately 11pm, three shots were fired at a residence on Glendower Road. The bullets, discharged in quick succession, struck both upstairs and downstairs windows, with one shattering a window and injuring a man in his 60s with broken glass. The offenders also damaged a front-facing camera at the property to conceal their identities and threw a brick at the windscreen of a nearby parked car. They fled the scene in a stolen Skoda, which they later set alight to destroy evidence.
West Midlands Police’s investigation, led by the Major Crimes Unit, utilised CCTV footage, ANPR camera data, and mobile phone evidence to establish a timeline of events. The evidence revealed that Shomari Mapp, 22, Aairus Rehman, 22, and Shaquon Richardson-Bowen, 21, conducted reconnaissance of Glendower Road an hour before the attack, driving past the location to plan their assault. Mobile phone data showed the trio were together or in close proximity in the hours leading up to the shooting, with their phones switched off or inactive during the incident.
Following extensive enquiries, all three men were arrested and charged. Mapp, of Melvina Road, and Richardson-Bowen, of Severne Road, Birmingham, were found guilty after a trial of attempted murder and arson, each receiving a 20-year sentence. Rehman, of Ringlow Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to arson and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at an earlier hearing and was also found guilty of attempted murder at trial, receiving a 22-year sentence.
Detective Inspector Francis Nock, from the Major Crimes Unit, said: “The shooting required immense planning by the offenders. They conducted careful reconnaissance of the location and clearly planned both the shooting itself and how to best cover their tracks afterwards. It’s a miracle someone wasn’t more seriously injured.”
The convictions mark a significant step in tackling violent crime in the region, with the sentences reflecting the severity of the planned attack.