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TEEN SHOOTING: City leaders appeal for calm
CITY leaders today appealed for calm in the wake of another fatal shooting in Sheffield.
Council leader Paul Scriven described the killing - nine months on from the murder of 16-year-old Jonathan Matondo in Burngreave - as a "tragic waste of young life" and urged youngsters to turn their backs on violent crime.
"My plea to young people in Sheffield is please don't become involved or associated with this type of crime," he said.
"Just like yesterday's victim everyone is somebody's son or brother, daughter or sister, and we don't want to see any more families devastated."
He added: "This mindless act is simply unacceptable, and the council will do all it can to help the police and the community find out who is responsible for this appalling crime, and to bring them to account.
"I would urge everyone to do the same."
Former Lord Mayor and Burngreave councillor Jackie Drayton insisted Burngreave is "still a safe place to live and work" but appealed for the community to be calm.
"I wouldn't want people to feel frightened about being in Burngreave because I think we are still safe. It is a terrible thing to have happened, and I don't know why it happened, but the police are doing everything they can to protect us."
She added: "I just feel for the victim's family. It's just another senseless killing of a young man with his whole future in front of him."
Coun Ibrar Hussain, who represents Burngreave, said: "We have to put our trust in the police and let them get on with their job.
"Sadly a young life has been lost and our thoughts must be with the young man's family. We must be determined to root out the evil that has caused this and which has resulted in another tragedy.
"People will say 'not again' and wonder if it is all down to gangs - if so, we must work hard to tackle these issues.
"I'm feeling very upset by what has happened but I know senior police officers are doing all they can to discover what has happened in our community," Coun Hussain added.
Pastor Andrew Rashford-Hewitt, from the nearby Seventh Day Adventist Church in Andover Street where Jonathan Matondo worshipped, said the murder was "a shock" and "very disappointing".
"We are obviously concerned for the family," he said. "We will be praying for them tomorrow in the Adventist churches at Burngreave, Carterknowle and Manor, and we will be continuing with the work we have started with the community agencies in the area to help young people make the right choices."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
