The mother of a young father who was shot dead in Neasden is appealing to the community to break its wall of silence and help catch his killer.
Ruth Thomas has made a desperate appeal on the second anniversary of the death of her son Rowan Thomas-Williams who was gunned down near Mulberry Court in Elgar Avenue.
The 20-year-old had been celebrating a friend’s birthday and was shot in the chest during a fight on December 6, 2013, just before 2am.
His friends rushed him to hospital in a car but he died seven hours later.
Ms Thomas said: “It’s been two years since Rowan was killed and we still have no closure. If you have any information please come forward.
“I believe that there are members of the local community who have information about what happened that night.
“I would plead for these people to come forward and tell the police.
“As a family we need closure, although this will never bring Rowan back I need to know why I will never see my son again.”
Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn of the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC), is leading the hunt for the killer.
He said he was keeping an open mind as to why Mr Thomas-Williams was murdered.
He added: “I am convinced that someone knows who is responsible for killing Rowan and I am appealing to them to do the right thing and come forward and assist us with our investigation.
“Two years is a very long time to go without answers and this has caused much distress to Rowan’s loved ones.
“This was a callous and brutal murder of a young man and Rowan’s mother and wider family have been left completely devastated. This is made even more difficult in that the person or people responsible have yet to be caught.
“We know that allegiances can change over time and I would like to reassure anyone who did not engage with us at the time of the murder that they can do so now. We understand that some might have some concerns about speaking to the police, but it is important that they do so and we can offer reassurance and support for those that can assist us with our enquiries.
“I am also directly appealing to the friends and family shielding those responsible. Now is not the time to stay silent.
“Rowan’s mother is still grieving the loss of her son. She is bravely making another appeal two years on in the hope that someone will now come forward and help us identify those who killed her son.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call the incident room on 0208 721 4805 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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