Bush party shooting witness didn't call police immediately: 'I regret it'

Under tough cross-examination at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911

Under tough cross-examination from defence lawyer Nathan Gorham at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911 after she and others found victim Josue Silva lying on the ground with a gunshot wound.

Johnson responded, "It's hard to tell, emotions were high… I was walking around trying to get people to help."

She testified that she and dozens of other young people were all at a bush party bash off Pack Road in southwest London on July 30, 2021, when her friend Josue Silva was mortally wounded. Johnson testified that she was being truthful when she said that they weren’t trying to hide anything from police, "I'm not sure why I didn't call 911 right away." She added, "It was very frantic, I was scared and everything around me was very hectic... I regret it."

The 18-year-old Silva would end up being rushed to hospital where he would later be pronounced dead.

After a police investigation, Emily Altmann, 22, identified in court as one of the partygoers and Carlos Guerra Guerra, 23, would be charged with second degree murder and assault causing bodily harm. Each of them has plead not guilty.

Later under re-examination Johnson said that she was told by the Crown to be truthful while on the stand, and that she has been.