One of the killers was caught with drill lyrics only someone involved in the killing could have known about
A gang of five North London men have been hit with 189 years behind bars after murdering two people and trying to kill a third. The killings happened in Archway two years ago when during a music video shoot on the Elthorne estate. Islington gang member Lorik Lupqi, saw the gathering at around 8:30pm and took it as an his cue to attack those he saw as rivals.
He messaged his then girlfriend claiming that “opps were outside.” She encouraged him to stay inside, but Lupqi decided to ignore this and contact his close friend and gang associate Jason Furtado. They then messaged other gang members and arrived two hours later when the filming had ended and started wildly stabbing people.
Leonardo Reid, 15, and Klevi Shekaj, 23, were in the area along with many other local kids and teens. Leonardo Reid died at the scene while Klevi Shekaj died in hospital. A third man was left seriously injured.
Phone records showed there were 50 short phone calls between this group in the two hours before the murders. After the attack, the killers went to Abel Chunda’s house and called organiser Furtado.
Chuna and Furtado were arrested on July 3 with Clarke legging it to the Suffolk coast and changing his appearance to try and evade arrest. But he was quickly found and arrested on July 12.
Lupqi illegally fled to Kosovo days after the murders but had sent messages to his girlfriend telling her not to wait for him. He was extradited back to the UK on November 12 last year.
Following gang member Xavier Poponne’s arrest in November 2023, cops found drill lyrics written just days after the murders containing important lyrics of the attack. The lyrics glorified the murders and referenced parts of the attack which could only be known to those involved.
His lyrics also mentioned how Leonardo and Klevi were not involved in gang criminality. Shortly after the murders, he also changed his social media name to ‘X3’ a reference to the number of people he had stabbed.
They were all convicted of the two murders and attempting to murder the third man, following a 15-week trial.
The group appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday (September 26). All men were sentenced to life in prison, with Lupqi, 21, of St John’s Way, Archway, to serve a minimum of 39 years. Furtado, 28, of Halton Road, Islington, must serve a minimum of 37 years, while Chunda, 21, of Caldy Walk, Islington, and Clark, of Huddelston Road, Tuffnell Park, were hit with a minimum of 38 years.
Poponne, 21, of Halton Road, Islington, was also sentenced for possession with intent to supply, possession of a bladed article and possession of a class B drug and was sentenced to life to serve a minimum of 37 years.
‘My son said he’d be home in five minutes’
During the sentencing, Klevi’s mother said: “No punishment can bring my son back or fill the void his absence has created in my life. But a just sentence may perhaps serve as a deterrent to others, and prevent them from inflicting this pain on another family.
“Klevi’s final words to me echoed with a promise; he would be home in five minutes, instead, I was met at my door by officers, delivering news that forever altered the trajectory of my life. No mother should have to endure the agony of burying her own child, particularly due to such senseless violence.”
‘My son was beautiful and charming’
Leonardo’s mother said: “I commend all the people that devoted and worked so hard in my son’s murder, all the time and effort spent to piece all the pieces together, I am very grateful and thankful. Leo my son was a beautiful, charming, intelligent 15-year-old boy.
“Just for the fact that another human being can treat another human so poorly, careless, without any disregard only means that you must not be bothered by your conscience. No number of years will ever justify your callous, vicious, and cold-blooded murder of a poor innocent 15 years old boy with his whole life ahead of him.”
Detective Inspector Jim Barry of Specialist Crime North said: “Today’s sentencing brings a lengthy and emotional investigation to conclusion. Leonardo and Klevi had no previous involvement with this group and their lives were taken after being mistaken for rival gang members.
“In court, Leonardo and Klevi’s mothers bravely shared the devasting impact that this group’s actions have had on their lives. I commend their strength at this unimaginably difficult time.
“This group of men each played a part in the murders of a young man and a boy. Whether they were carrying the knife used or cowardly tried to cover the rest of the group’s actions, every man here played a part and deserves to be in prison for a long time.”
He added: “This group of men will now spend a huge part of their lives behind bars for their senseless and violent actions. They murdered two people and seriously injured another over a nonsensical belief that they were gang members.
“Their actions that day will continue to have a devastating impact.”
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