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Neighbours pay tribute to Ghanaian gunned down in UK

Owusu, a ship worker, was shot three times at close range in front of his mother by two unidentified men.

 
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James Owusu, a ship worker, was shot three times at close range in front of his mother by two unidentified men.

His neighbours told the Brent & Kilburn Times that they believed they were hearing fireworks until they saw the blue lights of the police arriving an hour later.

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Simon Disney, 31, a neighbour, said: “I heard bang bang bang, that’s it. I thought it was fireworks. It’s that time of year, you don’t think anything of it but later police arrived and cordoned off the road.

“James was a good kid, no trouble, just a normal kid who had just graduated from uni, went to work, came home. He was a DJ aswell, DJ Skillzy.

“There’s no reason for any of this. Everyone around here is shocked, the whole of Church Road is shocked.”

Sameed Ahmed, 21, who lives on Church Road, added: “I grew up with him. My cousin and my older brother were in the same class as him at Curzon Crescent nursery. It’s really upsetting. Out of all people he is the last person who deserves anything like this. He was not affiliated with any gangsters, that needs to be cleared. He went out of his way to avoid that kind of thing.”

Leo Eyo, a pensioner, would see him often as he walked from his own home in Crome Road. He said: “He greeted me all the time – “hello, how are you?” It breaks my heart. Who would do this? He was like a gentle giant this boy, calm, I don’t see him to do any harm. Why should anyone take an innocent boy’s life like this?”

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His friends and relatives also took to Twitter to pay tribute to their 'gentle giant.'

In a chilling last words to his mum, Owusu said he didn’t know why he had been shot.

The victim’s mother, Deborah said her son told her, "I haven't done anything to anyone" as he lay dying in her arms.

Owusu’s boss, Mr Amiah, revealed to the Evening Standard that deceased had been watching the Champions League match with his visiting uncle at home when he decided to visit a friend next door.

He said: “His mother ran to him and said Qwasi ‘why has this happened? Have you done anything to anyone?’ He said: ‘Mum I haven’t done anything to anyone.. I don’t like trouble.”

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“She did what she could to try to help him before the ambulance arrived. She was distraught, she felt helpless and hopeless. She was still clearly in shock when I saw her.

No arrested has been made as detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command launched a murder inquiry.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 10.45pm on Wednesday to reports of a shooting in Tynsdale Road.

“Local officers and firearms officers attended the location and found a man in his 20s with gunshot injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

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