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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Margaret Davis & Alice Peacock

£20,000 reward to find gunman after Deliveroo driver dies in 'hit' that killed rapper

A £20,000 reward is on offer to anyone who can help find a gunman who killed a 27-year-old dead in a suspected gangland 'hit' that also claimed the life of a passing Deliveroo driver.

Guilherme Messias da Silva, 21, was knocked off his moped and died in Railton Road, Brixton, south London, on October 30 as he was making the final delivery of his shift.

He was hit by a white MG driven by Lemar Urquhart, a 27-year-old drill rapper also known as Perm, who was involved in a car chase at the time.

Mr Urquhart then got out of his car and was shot eight times as he ran away. The gunman has yet to be found.

Crimestoppers is offering a £20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the gunman.

At a hearing earlier this month to open inquests into the deaths, Detective Inspector Jason Fitzpatrick told the court: "Identifying the suspects involved is proving difficult at the moment."

The inquest at Inner South London Coroner's Court into the deaths of the men also found that the "chase involved rival gang members".

Deliveroo moped driver Guilherme Messias Da Silva was killed in the attack (REX/Shutterstock)
Lemar Rashawan Urqhart, 27, a drill rapper known as 'Perm' (REX/Shutterstock)

Mr da Silva's mother Rosangela said in a statement issued through the police: "I am here to tell you how devastated and shattered I am by the premature death of my son who went to the United Kingdom in search of a better life for himself and our family.

"Unfortunately, Guilherme's death happened in a tragic way, and it was caused by irresponsible people who deserve to be punished for taking away the life of an innocent person.

"My son was a calm, quiet and hardworking boy. My sadness goes beyond my soul for losing my beloved son."

Mr Urquhart's parents urged anyone with information to come forward.

Alexa Loukas from the Crimestoppers charity said: "It's truly shocking to think that such violence could take place on the street in the early evening, taking away the lives of two young men. Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the victims, and the wider community affected.

"Helping to make all our communities safe is a priority for Crimestoppers. As a standalone charity that's independent from the police, we are here to listen to what you have to say without ever asking for your personal details. We're simply not interested in who you are.

The shooters behind the attack are still at large (SWNS)

"But if you know something about this awful shooting - and are unable to speak to the police for whatever reason - Crimestoppers can help. We can pass on what you say whilst we guarantee you stay totally anonymous.

"Please tell us what you know. However small a piece of information may appear to you, it could be vital in helping to make a real difference in your community without ever having any comeback."

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.

A friend that grew up with Guilherme, who wanted to be known only as Ramonê, told the Mirror earlier this month that his death had sent shockwaves through their social group, many of whom also worked as takeaway delivery drivers.

“It can be really dangerous in the city which means it can be specifically really dangerous for us drivers," he said.

“It’s a hard time in London, in general the crime rate has gone up and up," he said.

“Of course, we don’t want the police authorities to always be chasing other people around, for anyone to be on the street being stopped by police and being asked questions.

“But people do say that there are ways to prevent a little bit more these criminalities that are happening (sic).

“Now this case has of course highlighted how bad it is."

A spokesperson from Deliveroo said that riders' safety and security was the company's priority and that every step was taken to ensure they felt safe on the road.

"Our dedicated rider engagement team has been speaking with riders, in Brixton and across the UK, to share our condolences and support at this difficult time," they said.

"We are also in contact with the Metropolitan Police to provide any assistance we can in their investigation."

It went on to say that if a rider was ever concerned about completing an order, they could contact Deliveroo's rider support team to report their concerns and be unassigned from that order.

Riders were automatically insured for free and a 24 hour helpline was available, providing personal support and counselling services. Deliveroo also worked with Flare, to provide a safety app available to riders that shared a rider's location with an emergency contact in case of an accident.

Guilherme’s work friend had set up the GoFundMe page with the purpose of getting his body home.

In just six days, the page had raised more than £16,000 - enough for repatriation. The remainder would be sent home to his family.

Bruno Avelar Dos Passos, who set up the page, said it could take close to two months for his body to be released by police, depending on the investigation.

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