A 22-year-old Birmingham man faces over a decade behind bars after shooting a 15-year-old boy in the back during a mistaken revenge attack, repeating a cycle of fatherless upbringing and violence.
Troubled Childhood Without a Father Figure
Lamar Anderson, now 22 and living on Heeley Road in Selly Oak, experienced early instability. At six months old, he visited his father in prison but has no memory of the encounter. His father was later deported to Jamaica, severing all contact. Raised by his mother and grandmother, Anderson grew up without a paternal influence.
His barrister, Jasvir Mann, highlighted this background in court, noting Anderson’s upbringing involved instability, abuse, bullying at school, behavioral issues, and exploitation. Despite a clean record before the incident, Anderson fathered a two-year-old son and lost a daughter at six months old, struggles that compounded his challenges.
The Fatal Altercation and Revenge Shooting
On August 2, 2024, around 9:30 p.m., Anderson clashed with Elyas Kaid outside Amex Wines in Balsall Heath, involving weapons. Anderson and his friend Jeheim Wilson fled in a SEAT Ibiza after retreating.
Instead of walking away, Anderson summoned backup from Kaine Dowe. The trio changed clothes, armed up—Anderson with a gun—and returned within 30 minutes. They searched for Kaid at the scene and his Ferncliffe Road home in Harborne.
Near George Street Park, they mistook a 15-year-old boy on an electric bike for Kaid or an associate. Anderson fired, striking the teen in the back. The victim survived but suffered spinal fractures, a lung wound, mobility issues, sleep disturbances, and ongoing trauma. The bullet remains lodged due to surgical risks, disrupting his GCSE preparations and forcing home tuition.
Investigation and Arrests
Anderson and accomplices fled, with him arranging a taxi, shaving his head, and disposing of the unrecovered gun. Police traced social media videos posted by Dowe, responded to by Wilson.
Wilson, 25, of Lapworth Grove, Balsall Heath, received six-and-a-half years for possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Dowe, 24, from Belvedere Road, Erdington, got six years for the same offense. Kaid, 23, earlier pleaded guilty to affray and served ten months.
Court Sentencing and Reflections
At Birmingham Crown Court, Anderson admitted affray, wounding with intent, and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Mann described the act as a “catastrophic personal mistake” due to lack of maturity, impulsivity, and wounded pride. He emphasized Anderson’s apology letter, full responsibility, and no intent to harm the boy specifically.
Mann noted, “His pre-sentence report says he was subject to bullying in school and had behavioural difficulties… that led to exploitation.” He added that Anderson’s young son offers a “prosocial focus,” but the sentence repeats history: “At the age of 22 history is repeating itself. He lost a father… his child of two will lose a father.”
Judge Heidi Kubik KC imposed 16 years’ custody plus a three-year extended licence, requiring two-thirds served—about 10-11 years—before parole eligibility. None excused his choices, underscoring a path of ego-driven violence plaguing young men in the city.
