A court trial revealed that a man attending a silent disco party was shot in the head as an act of revenge. Leroy Mitchell, aged 35, was fatally shot with a 12-bore shotgun in a car park during the headphones event in Croydon, south London, on October 2, 2021. Alpacino Veii, also known as Alpo, aged 29, and Cimarron Dume-Gooden, aged 32, are currently facing murder charges at the Old Bailey.
The motive for the shooting stemmed from a previous altercation at a nightclub in May 2019, where Mr. Mitchell allegedly punched Veii, leading to a subsequent fight. The court heard that Veii felt aggrieved as a friend was hit by a car during the incident and later attempted to damage the vehicle with a hammer. Veii, when arrested, claimed to be the victim, alleging that he was punched.
Prosecutors mentioned that the COVID-19 lockdown disruptions delayed the retaliation by the defendants. On the night of the incident, Mr. Mitchell had visited various locations before attending the silent disco at 4:30 am. The defendants, after spending time in West Croydon, arrived at the venue in a BMW shortly before the shooting.
Following the gunshot, witnesses discovered Mr. Mitchell’s body in the car park and alerted emergency services. Police arrived at the scene, and Mr. Mitchell was pronounced dead at 5:26 am. A post-mortem examination confirmed that he was shot at close range with a 12-bore shotgun. Veii and Dume-Gooden allegedly fled the scene in the BMW with false license plates and later attempted to destroy evidence by burning the car and clothing.
The defendants then fled to Somerset before returning to London, hoping to evade capture. Although the shooting was not captured on CCTV, various evidence, including traffic cameras and mobile phone data, implicated Veii and Dume-Gooden in the crime. The accused individuals have denied the charges, and the trial continues at the Old Bailey.
In addition to the murder charges, Kwabena Ofori, Issa Souleman, Veii, and Dume-Gooden have also denied perverting the course of justice between October 1 and 14, 2021.
