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| Manchester children's worker acting as 'peacemaker' when killed | Manchester children's worker acting as 'peacemaker' when killed |
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| Abayomi Ajose’s family say he was looking out for friend when shot alongside Cheriff Tall, 21 | Abayomi Ajose’s family say he was looking out for friend when shot alongside Cheriff Tall, 21 |
| A children’s services worker who was shot dead along with another man at a lockdown party in Manchester was acting as a “peacemaker” when he was murdered, his family have said. | |
| Abayomi Ajose, 36, who is understood to have worked for Manchester city council, and Cheriff Tall, 21, suffered fatal injuries when they were shot at close range in the early hours of Sunday morning. | Abayomi Ajose, 36, who is understood to have worked for Manchester city council, and Cheriff Tall, 21, suffered fatal injuries when they were shot at close range in the early hours of Sunday morning. |
| Greater Manchester police said the “brutal and horrifying” shootings took place at what it described as a “spontaneous gathering” of dozens of people in the city’s Moss Side area. | Greater Manchester police said the “brutal and horrifying” shootings took place at what it described as a “spontaneous gathering” of dozens of people in the city’s Moss Side area. |
| Detectives have appealed to anyone with information to “search your conscience” and come forward to help catch the gunman and any accomplices. | |
| It is understood that one line of inquiry is that Ajose was trying to keep the peace when he was gunned down shortly before 1am on Sunday. | |
| The double-murder has shocked the residents of Moss Side, where community groups and civic leaders have successfully rid the area of the negative “Gunchester” label it attracted 10 to 15 years ago. | |
| Tributes have been paid to both men and nearly 200 people have donated to a fundraiser set up for Ajose’s family, which has so far raised almost £6,000. A minute’s silence was held in Moss Side on Monday and floral tributes have piled up near the scene of the shooting. | |
| Akemia Minott, a youth worker, said the killings had “created a new layer of devastation” for Moss Side. “These men were loved by so many and the full impact of these tragic deaths is immeasurable,” she said. | |
| Minott described Tall as “an amazing young man” who had worked with youth workers to campaign against violence, including speaking with MPs on a visit to the Houses of Parliament. “He was probably one of the most popular well-liked young men in the community,” she said. “Everybody knew him. He was very cheeky but very happy.” | |
| Ajose’s brother-in-law, Lekan Oyekanmi, said on Wednesday that Ajose was acting as a peacemaker when he was shot. | Ajose’s brother-in-law, Lekan Oyekanmi, said on Wednesday that Ajose was acting as a peacemaker when he was shot. |
| He said: “He was an amazing person. You hear about people getting murdered and being gang-affiliated – he had nothing to do with that; he was not involved in anything like that. | He said: “He was an amazing person. You hear about people getting murdered and being gang-affiliated – he had nothing to do with that; he was not involved in anything like that. |
| “He was a care worker, social worker, and that’s what he was doing. I know he was there trying to defuse something, whatever happened.” | “He was a care worker, social worker, and that’s what he was doing. I know he was there trying to defuse something, whatever happened.” |
| Greater Manchester police have faced criticism for not shutting down the impromptu street party, which had a DJ and sound system and took place shortly after a pre-planned event nearby. The force said it had responded proportionately as it was “not achievable to safely disperse every group of people that are gathering”. | Greater Manchester police have faced criticism for not shutting down the impromptu street party, which had a DJ and sound system and took place shortly after a pre-planned event nearby. The force said it had responded proportionately as it was “not achievable to safely disperse every group of people that are gathering”. |
| Oyekanmi, 33, said Ajose was searching for his friend who was in a bad way shortly before the murders. “He just told me to wait on the corner where we were stood because his friend kept walking off and he was looking out for him,” he said. | Oyekanmi, 33, said Ajose was searching for his friend who was in a bad way shortly before the murders. “He just told me to wait on the corner where we were stood because his friend kept walking off and he was looking out for him,” he said. |
| “The friend he was looking for wasn’t involved in the situation he got himself into. I heard the gunshots but I don’t know what the reason for it was. It’s shocked everybody.” | “The friend he was looking for wasn’t involved in the situation he got himself into. I heard the gunshots but I don’t know what the reason for it was. It’s shocked everybody.” |