28-year-old Reece Salmon was stabbed to death outside a £1.55 million property on Lloyd Baker Street in Islington on 16 September and died in hospital the following day; the attacker remains at large. The killing has shocked the affluent neighbourhood, described by locals as peaceful and quiet, but investigations have revealed that Salmon was a prolific gangster and international fraudster involved in organised crime networks.

Salmon was a member of a London moped gang armed with axes and samurai swords who carried out phone snatches and robberies across the capital; he was convicted in 2019 of conspiracy to commit robbery and imprisoned for three years and nine months. After his release, he moved to New Zealand, where he worked as a "courier" for a UK-based criminal organisation conducting international fraud operations targeting elderly pensioners aged 69–95. The gang members posed as police officers to persuade victims to withdraw cash or purchase gold bullion, which Salmon would collect from their homes, often whilst in disguise. Between July 2024 and early August, he stole NZ$239,500 in cash and NZ$172,000 in gold from 19 victims before being jailed in June for obtaining money and gold by deception.