The mum of murdered teenager Yusuf Sonko has urged young men who consider carrying weapons to think about her pain.
Khadija Sonko spoke to the ECHO to mark the six year anniversary of her 18-year-old son's heartbreaking murder. Yusuf was shot dead on June 2, 2017 while standing with friends on Tagus Street, Toxteth. Merseyside Police has arrested eight people in connection with the shooting but no one has ever been charged with his murder.
The shooting caused devastation in Toxteth and Yusuf's grief-stricken parents have relentlessly begged for those with information to come forward to police. When asked by the ECHO what her message would be to young men in Merseyside, Khadija said: "Stay away from guns, stay away from knives, stay away from trouble.
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"I go out in the community and speak to young men and say 'you know what I am going through with Yusuf's death'. I love my son, but I love all children. I don't want young boys dying. I know their mothers love them as well.
"I say calm yourself, don't go out and make your mum sad. Make your family proud, make them happy - you have a lot of opportunities to do some good in this life."
Yusuf, described by his mum as "polite and kind" and a "lovely boy who was so full of life", was due to sit his final A-Level examination before going to university to study business studies. Khadija urged the public to ignore any notion of a "no grass culture" and bring any information linked to the murder to the police.
She told the ECHO: "Someone knows what happened but they have kept the information to themselves. I want them to put themselves in my shoes and know my pain. I am asking them to come forward and give me and my family justice."
Khadija added: "People talk about being a grass, this is different. When you kill it is a different story. This is not snitching - this is murder."
Merseyside Police Detective Inspector Sarah Wilkinson said: "The devastation caused by the cold-blooded murder of Yusef is still overwhelming for his family six years on today. So far eight arrests have been made and our investigation into Yusef’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 L8 and beyond who hold vital information that will help us find anyone responsible for Yusef’s death. We will review any information you share with us so please contact us immediately if you have anything that could help us bring justice for Yusef’s family."
The police have urged anyone who witnessed the shooting and saw a group of young men running in the area, or saw two men on pedal bikes before or after, to get in touch.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the area at the time, or has any information is urged to contact us via 101, our social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter. Alternatively, to stay completely anonymous and be eligible for a reward, contact independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in their simple and secure anonymous online form. The charity’s UK Contact Centre is open 24/7 on freephone 0800 555 111 where you can speak to one of their specially trained call agents.
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