Eight months have passed, but the pain remains unbearable for Janay John-Francois. Her 15-year-old son, Rene Graham, was shot dead in broad daylight during a warm-up event for the Notting Hill Carnival at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park, Ladbroke Grove, on July 21, 2024.
What was meant to be a joyous celebration turned into a horrific tragedy, leaving Rene Graham’s mother shattered and searching for justice.
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“It’s broken, shattered my life… It’s killing me on the inside,” John-Francois said, describing the immense grief she carries every day.
Her son, described as a “vibrant” teenager with the “biggest heart,” was gunned down in front of hundreds of festival-goers. Yet, despite the public setting and numerous potential witnesses, his killer remains at large.
Rene Graham’s Mother Is Living in the Shadow of Uncertainty
The unsolved murder has left John-Francois constantly looking over her shoulder, fearful for her safety and that of her family.
“I go down that road and I am looking over my shoulder. I don’t know who it could be, and that messes up your head. Because you are thinking, is my family safe? Do they know who I am?” she said, expressing her deep anxiety.
The Metropolitan Police have issued four separate appeals for information, but the response has been “minimal.” Lead investigator DCI Alison Foxwell urged witnesses to come forward, emphasizing the importance of crowd footage from that day.
“We know from reviewing CCTV from inside the park that many people were filming on the day, and these videos could hold crucial information for us,” she stated.
Despite the police efforts, John-Francois remains frustrated and fearful that justice may never come. “How does that happen? In broad daylight with over a thousand people in that small park? It’s beyond me,” she said.
Systemic Failures: A Mother’s Fight for Accountability
Beyond the crime itself, John-Francois believes systemic failures played a role in her son’s tragic fate. Rene Graham had been in care for much of his life, and his mother admits she wasn’t always able to provide the support he needed.
“I put my hands up and say that I was young, I was 15. I could have done a lot of things differently,” she admitted. However, she argues that social services failed to step in effectively when Rene was removed from her care.
“He had no structure in his life. No school, nothing for five years… and down to all of that, he ended up where he was, living the life he was living,” she said, holding the system accountable.
Westminster City Council responded, stating: “We do our best in complicated circumstances to help young people as they grow up. We supported Rene over several years, and every decision the council made was driven by Rene’s welfare and with his family’s involvement.”
They extended their condolences, but for John-Francois, sympathy is not enough. “They failed him and I need them to take responsibility for that,” she declared.
What she wants now is clear—justice for Rene Graham and assurance that no other child suffers a similar fate. As she continues her fight, she urges anyone with information to come forward, hoping that someone, somewhere, will help bring her son’s killer to justice.
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