'A loss we'll carry forever' - Family pay tribute to 'kind and caring' Connor Brookes as killer's faces revealed

West Midlands Police have released images of the three men who have been convicted of the murder of 20-year-old Connor Brookes in Walsall on July 8 of last year. 

Connor and a friend were sitting in a parked van on Well Lane, Walsall, just before 5pm, when a stolen black Ford Focus, driven by his attackers, struck. 

The vehicle pulled alongside the van, and six seconds later, the gunman, sitting in the rear of the car, opened fire with a double-barrelled shotgun. 

The passenger was hit in the left shoulder and luckily survived the attack, however, Connor - who was in the driver's seat of the vehicle - was tragically killed.

Following the shooting, the Focus sped off at nearly 50mph, being driven towards Wryley Lane, where the murder weapon was dumped only minutes after the killing. 

A major investigation saw West Midlands Police's homicide officers trawl through hundreds of hours of footage to piece together what had taken place on the day. 

The investigation discovered that the car was being driven by 23-year-old Jake Sanbrook, with Byron Sellick, 20, and Julian Falconer, 19, as it's passengers. 

West Midlands Police said the motive for the murder was identified during the investigation, with officers finding that Connor's brother, Patrick, was convicted of the murder of Bailey Atkinson, who was stabbed to death in Walsall in 2023. 

Investigators found that the murder trio were friends of Mr Atkinson, and had images of him and material related to the 2023 murder on their phones. 

An investigation also revealed how less than 15 minutes before the murder, shots had been fired from the Focus towards another car less than two miles away on Stephenson Avenue. 

Officers also believe this incident was another revenge attack for Mr Atkinson's murder. 

Acting on information, the sawn-off shotgun was later recovered from a bin bag in Wyrley Lane, Staffordshire. 

The Focus was found abandoned four days later, with gun residue still present inside and DNA from Sanbrook and another man, Samual Danks-Petty, aged 20. 

Danks-Petty, of Buildwas Close, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice after helping the killers get home after the murder. 

Following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Sanbrook, of Fisher Road, Mossley, Sellick, of no fixed abode, and Falconer, of Wyrley Close, New Invention, were found guilty of the murder of Connor and the attempted murder of his friend, also being found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

All were remanded into custody where they will be sentenced on May 30. 

In a tribute, Connor's family said: "Connor was an incredibly kind and caring person, someone who was always there for us.

"His loss at such a young age is devastating, for all of us who loved him. This has been a heart-breaking journey for our family, and it’s a loss we will carry with us forever. This violence has to end before more lives are ruined."

Senior investigating officer, detective inspector Michelle Cordell, said: "Connor’s murder has had a devastating impact on all who knew and loved him, especially his family. His friend survived the attack, but I have no doubt that the trauma he experienced that day will live with him for the rest of his life.

"The brutal and cold-hearted actions of this group in broad daylight were intentional, cruel, cowardly and unjustified. We may never know who fired the gun, but the jury’s verdicts show that they were acting with a common purpose that day.

"Nothing can bring Connor back, but I hope that today's verdicts provide some comfort to both families as they try to heal and rebuild their lives."