“Horrific Drive-by Shooting: Birmingham Gang Feud Claims Innocent Teenagers”

Accident – death – Obituary News : **Horrific Drive-By Shooting Sheds Light on Birmingham’s Warring Gangs**

It was a tragic incident that rocked Britain and exposed the ongoing battle between two rival gangs plaguing Birmingham. On that fateful morning of January 2, 2003, Letisha Shakespeare, 17, and Charlene Ellis, 18, were mercilessly gunned down in a hail of bullets outside a New Year party. The innocent teenagers became unfortunate victims caught in the crossfire of an escalating feud between the Burger Bar Boys and the Johnson Crew.

Originally named after the cafes where black youths gathered in the late 1980s, these gangs initially formed as a response to far-right activity in Birmingham. However, as extremist activity diminished in the 1990s, they shifted their focus to the lucrative trade of crack cocaine and heroin, battling against and displacing the city’s notorious Jamaican-born Yardie gangsters.

Separated by the A34, these two factions quickly gained notoriety for their violent turf wars, with rival gang members resorting to guns and extreme violence to settle scores. The Burger Bar Boys, who controlled Handsworth and Smethwick, were known for their ruthless tactics and wealth. On the other hand, the Johnson Crew, based in Aston and Lozells, boasted a larger membership.

On that ill-fated night, Charlene and Letisha were leaving a party at a hairdressing salon in Aston when four members of the Burger Bar Boys arrived in a car and unleashed a barrage of bullets upon the crowd. Armed with a MAC-10 machine gun and two automatic 9mm pistols, their intended target was a member of the Johnson Crew who had provoked them earlier at a nightclub. Tragically, two other young women, Charlene’s twin sister Sophie and Cheryl Shaw, aged 17, were also injured in the attack.

The shocking incident sent shockwaves throughout the country, prompting thousands to gather at a concert in Villa Park to honor the memory of the murdered teenagers. It also spurred a police crackdown on gang activities. In 2003, undercover officer Neil Woods infiltrated the Burger Bar Boys in Northampton, where they had expanded their drug operations. The operation resulted in the arrest of 96 individuals but had minimal impact on the drug supply. As Woods explained, “We managed to interrupt the drug supply in Northampton for a full two hours, but another gang quickly took advantage, and the market remained unchanged.”

Unfortunately, gang violence continued to plague Birmingham in subsequent years. In 2015 and 2016 alone, there were 20 firearm offenses, leading to a “landmark” legal injunction that banned 18 suspects from specific areas of the city and from producing rap videos. One of the suspects included Lawrence Morgan, whose deportation was thwarted by a passenger revolt. Tragically, Morgan’s friend Naasir Francis was killed in a shootout in 2020.

While the original Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew have been replaced by a multitude of street gangs, certain senior members still exert significant influence and instill fear throughout the city. Despite their age, these individuals continue to be active players in the gang landscape, according to well-connected sources.

In conclusion, the shocking drive-by shooting that claimed the lives of Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis shed light on the ongoing gang violence in Birmingham. This tragic incident, along with subsequent outbreaks of violence, has prompted law enforcement to take action, but the battle against gangs and the drug trade remains an ongoing struggle for the city..