Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton

Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was shot in John Ruskin Street, Kennington, by the junction with Camberwell New Road in a drive-by shooting on Saturday 5 May 2018.

He was pronounced dead at the scene just before 7pm.

Two people, aged 17 and 20, were arrested a month after the shooting but no charges were made.

It was thought that Rhyhiem Barton had been standing at the street corner with a group of friends at the time he was shot, but it was reported that they had not come forward to give evidence. He was said to have been playing football at the time.

Several shots were fired from the car at the group, including one that went through the window of a home and narrowly missed a woman inside.

A detective said, 'I also want to appeal to Rhyhiem’s friends. I’m sure that some of you will know who pulled the trigger'.

The police said that they were trying to trace a grey BMW Series 2 Gran Tourer car, registration WT17 CFK, which was seen in CCTV around the time of the shooting. The police said that they were confident that the gunmen had used the BMW to carry out the shooting. However, the police noted that the numberplate use was false and that its real registration number was BP17 YVV and that the vehicle had been stolen during a burglary in Essex on the night of 23 December 2017 and the numberplates later changed.

As such, the police said that they were keen to hear from anyone that might have seen the BMW car from 24 December 2017 through to Saturday 5 May 2018, the day of the murder.

Rhyhiem Barton had been a drill rapper known as GB. He was said to have been on a police database of people involved with drill rap and the promotion of violence between rival gangs online.

He had lived on the Brandon Estate.

He was noted for having been photographed with the former BBC DJ Tim Westwood who had been promoting his drill rap and the drill rap music scene at the time and to have appeared on Tim Westwood's YouTube channel show in April 2017.

He was said to have been a member of the Moscow17 crew from Kennington who had been involved in a violent feud with the Zone2 gang from Peckham.

It was said that a month before his murder that he had recorded a song challenging the Zone 2 gang, including the lyrics, 'how you gonna make it even' which was said to have been a challenge. Another song that was published included the lyrics, 'check the scoreboard' to which the Zone 2 gang were said to have responded with a song which included the lyrics, 'roll up and burst them'.

Other local gangs included, KuKu/Bp, AY gang, PriceyWorld/Wano Rd, 198 BLOCK 5 and the 410 gang.

Rhyhiem Barton's murder was also noted for photographs taken of his mother on her hands and knees scrubbing his blood off from the pavement following his death which had been left by the police crime scene investigators. It was also noted that Rhyhiem Barton had been stabbed in May 2017 after which his mother had sent him to Jamaica in June 2017 for eight months to protect him.