Man Jailed 35 Years for Shooting Boy Dead in Play Area

A gun that jammed became the only reason a second man walked away from Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park alive.

Aderahman Boumzough, 25, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday to a minimum of 35 years and 169 days after being found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Rene Graham and attempting to murder a second man during a family music festival in Ladbroke Grove, west London, in July 2024.

What the Court Heard

CCTV footage showed Boumzough calmly approaching a children's play area at the park before firing a single shot that killed Graham. He then chased a second man and tried to shoot him too, but the weapon jammed, and he fled the scene. More than a year passed before he was identified, arrested and charged.

Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, said a £20,000 reward and repeated public appeals eventually produced the evidence needed to bring Boumzough to court. Officers uncovered a video on his phone in which he appeared to reference the failed second shooting, boasting about the incident rather than showing any remorse for it.

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A Premeditated Public Execution

Judge Simon James told Boumzough his actions amounted to a "premeditated public execution" of an unarmed, defenceless teenager. He said Graham "should have had his whole life to realise his dreams and aspirations," and that it was impossible not to be moved hearing the family describe their grief.

The judge noted Boumzough offered no explanation or motive for the shooting and showed no remorse throughout the trial. Graham's mother, Janay John-Francois, had appealed publicly for information within a month of her son's death, describing an emptiness she said she would not wish on anyone.

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What Comes Next for the Investigation

The case closes with a conviction, but the year-long gap between the shooting and Boumzough's arrest points to a wider pattern investigators have flagged in the area — witnesses reluctant to come forward until a reward and renewed public pressure changed the calculation. Only a small number of people ultimately provided statements, according to the Metropolitan Police, despite the shooting happening in broad daylight during a public event.

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TL;DR

• Aderahman Boumzough, 25, was jailed for a minimum of 35 years and 169 days for murdering 15-year-old Rene Graham.

• The shooting happened in a children's play area during a family music festival at Ladbroke Grove in July 2024.

• Boumzough also attempted to shoot a second man, but the gun jammed and he fled.

• He was not arrested until more than a year after the killing, following a £20,000 reward appeal.

• The judge described the killing as a "premeditated public execution."

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