The mum of an 18-year-old who was shot in the street in Liverpool has shared her horror at other recent gun crime on the six-year anniversary of his death.
Yusuf Sonko was a week away from completing his A level exams when he was shot and killed in Tagus Street in Toxteth on June 2, 2017.
Since then eight men have been arrested in connection with the killing, and a ninth voluntarily attended for interview, but nobody has been charged with his murder.
Now his mum Khadija Sonko says she wants to face the person who killed her son, as Crimestoppers offers a reward of up to £20,000 for information which leads to the conviction of those responsible.
Khadija, 45, said: ‘I need to face the person and ask him why. Why me? Why Yusuf?
‘Eighteen years is too early, you don’t even let him enjoy his life. It’s just wicked.’
Yusuf’s shooting was one of five which happened in the space of a week in Merseyside in 2017.
Last year there were five fatal shootings in Merseyside, including the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
Khadija wants to face whoever is responsible for her son’s death (Picture: PA)
An appeal for information with a £20,000 reward has been launched (Picture: PA)
Khadija, a hair salon owner, said hearing about other victims of gun crime in the region brought her back to her son’s death.
She added: ‘I cry for them. Even though I don’t know who the mother is, I cry for them because I know what I’m going through, it never goes away. It’s always there.
‘If I hear somebody’s child’s been murdered I cry. I say, “Again? Again? Why don’t they stop?”
‘I don’t think any mother should be going through what I am going through.’
Khadija believes there are people out there with information about her son’s killer – and after the outpouring of information to Merseyside Police following Olivia’s death, she hopes they will come forward.
Appealing directly to them, she said: ‘You know what happened. Why don’t you give him justice? Why do you have to make me suffer with my family and keep the secret?
‘This is not snitching. This is a murder case, snitching and a murder case are completely different.
‘If you keep that information to yourself then you are wicked, you have got a wicked heart.’
It’s been six years since Yusuf was shot and killed (Picture: PA)
Police believe Yusuf was shot as part of a dispute between rival gangs around the Lodge Lane area – but he’s thought to have only appeared on ‘the periphery of one of those groups’ in the weeks before the attack.
Detective Inspector Sarah Wilkinson said: ‘So far eight arrests have been made, and our investigation into Yusuf’s death remains open with a new £20,000 reward from charity Crimestoppers in place until the gunman is found and brought to justice.
‘Our detectives remain convinced there are people living in (postcode area) L8 and beyond who hold vital information that will help us find anyone responsible for Yusuf’s death.’
She appealed for anyone who witnessed the shooting, saw groups of young males running in the Lodge Lane area just before 8.30pm on the night, or saw two males on pedal bikes in the area before or after to get in touch.
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‘I need to face the person and ask him why. Why me? Why Yusuf?’