A suspected contract killer who disguised himself as a Deliveroo rider to carry out a series of shootings, including one which left an eight-year-old birthday girl and her father seriously injured, has been sentenced to 38 years in prison.
A Calculated Campaign of Violence
Jazz Reid, 33, was found guilty of a string of firearms offences following three linked shootings in London. The most shocking attack occurred on 24 November 2024 in Ladbroke Grove, north-west London. Reid fired a volley of 11 shots into a car where a family was sitting. An eight-year-old girl, who had been celebrating her birthday, was hit twice in the buttocks and foot. Her 34-year-old father was struck five times in the back, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
According to her mother, the young victim is now "a shadow of the bubbly, bright, larger than life character she once was", suffering daily trauma and anxiety. Her father has been left unable to walk.
Precision Planning and a Sinister Disguise
The Old Bailey heard that Reid planned his attacks with "precision". His method involved driving a hire car to an area, changing into a Deliveroo rider's disguise complete with a takeaway box, and using an e-bike to approach his targets. He switched mobile phones and SIM cards to avoid detection.
The shooting in Ladbroke Grove was the third in a series. On 9 October 2024, Reid wounded a man named Ameile Buncombe in the thigh at a home in Notting Hill. On 11 November 2024, he made a failed attempt to shoot the 34-year-old father, firing four shots at a north London address linked to the victim.
Mystery Motive and a Damning Sentence
Prosecutor Michael Goodwin KC said the motive remained a mystery, as Reid continued to deny the crimes. He claimed he had been "set up" over a £10,000 debt and that a gun found under a concrete slab outside his Uxbridge home was "planted".
However, Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC, sentencing on Thursday, said the lack of motive raised the strong possibility of "contract killings", potentially linked to drug dealing or financial gain. She sentenced Reid to 38 years in prison with a further five years on extended licence.
Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Richard Scott from the Met Police stated: "This was a truly shocking series of crimes carried out by a man intent on committing murder. He intended to kill his targets but also ended up seriously injuring an innocent young girl."
The mother of the eight-year-old victim, in an emotional statement, said Reid's actions had "completely shattered" their lives. "While we are grateful that justice has been served... no sentence will ever make up for what Reid did to my family," she said.
