A 17-year-old girl was fatally shot in a street attack believed to be a gang-related retaliation sparked by a social media post, a court has heard.
Tanesha Melbourne-Blake had been standing with a group of friends on Chalgrove Road in Tottenham, north London, on Easter Monday evening in 2018, when a vehicle approached and a passenger opened fire.
She was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering internal injuries. According to court proceedings, Tanesha was shot in the chest and collapsed while telling her friend, “I’ve been shot.”
Marcus La Croix, 37, and Michael Clarke, 35, both deny murder. The two men are alleged to have been part of a group that entered a rival gang’s area that night, culminating in the fatal shooting.
Prosecuting barrister Jocelyn Ledward KC informed the Old Bailey that the incident stemmed from a long-standing feud between gangs in Wood Green and Northumberland Park. She suggested that Ms Melbourne-Blake might not have been the intended target.
Ms Ledward stated the attack was a response to a “humiliating” incident involving Mr La Croix, who had been assaulted by individuals linked to the Northumberland Park gang. CCTV footage of the assault was subsequently circulated on social media.
Addressing the court, she said the so-called ride-out “was intended to result in death or serious injury – through the use of a self-loading pistol.”
Mr La Croix, who is from Hackney and also known by the name “Bobby Slater”, and Mr Clarke, from Luton, are accused of seeking revenge the day after the footage was shared.
Both defendants deny charges of murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The trial remains ongoing.
