A 22-year-old man has been jailed for 27 years after being convicted of trying to kill a teenager during a shooting at a motorcycle gathering in west London.
Emad Al-Haj Shareef was sentenced on Monday at Kingston Crown Court for the attack on a 19-year-old man in Hayes on the night of August 23, 2025. Hundreds of people were at the gathering when the incident happened.
Investigators said the victim belonged to the same motorcycle group as Shareef but did not know him personally. An altercation broke out after the victim approached him at the event.
Police said tensions escalated after Shareef allegedly threatened the teenager, causing the victim to flee the scene. Shareef was said to have chased him on a motorcycle before opening fire at close range.
The teenager was shot in the neck and left in critical condition. He was taken to Hillingdon Hospital shortly after midnight.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police used CCTV footage, witness accounts and forensic evidence in their investigation. They obtained surveillance footage allegedly showing Shareef carrying out the shooting while riding a motorcycle, and other footage showing him fleeing toward his home in Hounslow.
Shareef was arrested two days later at his home on Norman Crescent and charged with attempted murder. Police recovered the firearm believed to have been used, along with a magazine hidden in a stolen vehicle.
A jacket allegedly worn by Shareef during the shooting was also found in the vehicle and tested positive for gunshot residue. Phone records and social media activity further linked him to the scene. Detectives also found a Snapchat video reportedly uploaded by Shareef earlier that day showing him at the gathering near Piccadilly Circus.
Lead investigator, Detective Constable Paulina Rosol, said the case highlighted the dangers associated with gun violence on London streets.
“Shareef went as far as to hide the weapon he used in a stolen vehicle,” Rosol said.
“This jacket was later found to have gunshot residue on it, directly implicating Shareef and shattering his facade of innocence.”
She added that the Metropolitan Police remained committed to tackling violent crime and removing illegal firearms from circulation.
Police data released with the case showed fatal gunshot incidents in London fell 27% over the past year, while firearm seizures rose 75%.
Authorities said the sentence sends a warning to those involved in gun violence and organised street crime that offenders will be pursued and prosecuted.
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