Neighbours: ‘Brilliant’ mum, 46, shot dead at wake ‘could have been in wrong place at wrong time’

Detectives are investigating whether a mother gunned down in a fatal drive-by shooting was in ‘the wrong place at the wrong time’.
It is understood that police believe that Michelle Sadio, 46, may not have been the intended target of the attack, which came as people left a wake in North London.
Neighbours described how a car slowly drove along Gifford Road in Willesdon while the congregation of around 120 people were leaving the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church at about 9.15pm.
One witness told Metro: ‘The car with the gunmen drove past the church once, did a loop then came back and blasted into the crowd.
‘It was clear they were looking for someone. On the first lap they stopped for a moment and carried on.
‘There were eight shots I think, it must have been from a semi automatic weapon as the shots were so close together.



‘The shooter was in the back seat and there was the driver and some one else in the passenger seat.
‘I think for sure the woman was not the target and she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
‘There was a man near her in the crowd, maybe it was him they were shooting, who knows.
‘One man was shot in the leg. This was a planned job you could tell. But with all those people around you could see someone innocent could be hit.’
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Another witness, a mother-of-two, told Metro: ‘A car drove slowly by, then there were bangs, about five of them.



‘The car was going so slow it looked like they were looking for someone. It’s very frightening for us. There is a lot of gang crime around here. There is a gang on Church Road which is near.’
A cordon remains at around the crime scene as police trawl for clues, while flowers have been left at the scene.
Two men, both aged in their 30s, were also shot and suffered serious injuries, with one remaining in hospital in a critical condition.
While formal identification has yet to take place, officers are confident the woman killed is 46-year-old Michelle Sadio. Her family are being supported by specialist officers.
Michelle, described as a ‘brilliant woman’ by a friend, died at the scene in front of weeping onlookers.
‘She was a light in all of our lives. She adored her children and worked hard to give them a happy life,’ they told the Sun.
Road closures remain in place around the scene as work continues to gather evidence following the shooting.
There have been no arrests and enquiries into the circumstances continue.
Superintendent Tony Josephs said: ‘This is a truly shocking incident that has left a woman dead and two others injured, and I understand the concern this will cause the local community and those across London.
‘I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night and identify whoever was responsible for this heinous act of violence.
‘If you were in or around Gifford Road at the time of the shooting, or have any information about who was responsible, please get in contact with us. A family has been left devastated and we need to work together to provide them with answers.’