Tributes to double shooting victims
EMOTIONAL TRIBUTES PAID TO VICTIMS OF DOUBLE LOCKDOWN PARTY SHOOTING
THE grieving father of a young man who was shot dead as part of a shocking double murder at a Moss Side lockdown party has slammed the fugitive gunman who is ‘hiding like a rat.’
A gunman blasted Cheriff Tall, 21, and Abayomi Ajose, 36, in the head at a rowdy lockdown party in a car park off Caythorpe Street just before 1am on June 21.
As the police hunt for the culprit intensifies, yesterday the families of both victims spoke movingly about the loss of their loved ones and made public appeals for some of the 300 people at the event to come forward.
So far police haven’t identified an eye-witness who is prepared to give evidence.
The father of Cheriff Tall, from a large family in Senegal and Gambia including diplomats, spoke directly to the shooter at a media press conference.
The victim had ambitions to join the army or become a pilot.
Mousa Tall, 53, a support worker, said the gunman was ‘in hiding like a rat.’ He said they had come from behind his son to shoot him.
“We are Muslims. We trust Allah. We know Allah knows him, he saw him. He’s waiting. There’s a verse they say in the Quran: every soul shall taste death, whoever you are and wherever you are.
“But the day will come and he will stand in front of Allah. And he will ask you, why did you kill this person? And why did you come from behind to shoot him from behind? Why you didn’t face him?” Cheriff’s mother Suwaidu Sanyang, 53, and sister Sarata Sambou, 34, sobbed as he addressed the killer. Cheriff had been singing and dancing at home that day, anticipating a ‘community barbecue,’ say his family.
His mother Suwaidu said: “He was so happy. He showed me a photo of how he was gonna dress. He was ‘look this is how I’m gonna dress.’ I said ‘oh that’s lovely you’re gonna look nice.’” He’s going to be deeply missed. It’s not really sunk in
Olalekan Oyekanmi, brother-in-law of Abayomi Ajose
Sarata broke down in tears when she said: “No parent should ever have to be burying their son who they’ve raised up to the tender age of 21 to the senseless act of violence. Lives have been shredded into pieces by this tragic event. And it’s not just us. It’s two families whose lives have been torn apart.”
Mousa added: “He loves people. Cheriff ’’s got a clean heart. His heart was just like a diamond. Cheriff doesn’t want to hurt people. Cheriff doesn’t want to hurt anybody. Cheriff want to always help.”
Sorata said her brother had been at the community event earlier that day, although she accepted the party that night breached lockdown rules.
She said: “The event itself was a planned community event in the afternoon. The only thing that was a breach was how the party continued later on”
Abayomi’s wife Lola Ajose, with whom he had three children, described him as ‘just a fun guy and the life of the party when you think of him you just smile.’
“He was just a really fun guy and hard-working guy and dedicated to looking after the family. He was a very good dad,” she said. She added what happened ‘doesn’t feel real.’
He had a ‘gift of working with the naughty kids’ as a support worker, she said. “We’re all just shocked,” she said.
His brother-in-law Olalekan Oyekanmi said: “He’s going to be deeply missed. It’s not really sunk in. On that fateful night I’d just seen him and it doesn’t feel real.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 9908, quoting incident number 221 of 21/06/2020. Reports can also be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.