Mothers share in the grief over Merseyside’s young gun crime victim

Aug 24 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

TWO Merseyside mothers who lost their sons to gun crime last night offered their support and solidarity to the parents of Rhys Jones.

Paula Ogunboro, whose son Eugene was shot dead at a party three and a half years ago, labelled the killing of the 11-year-old “sickening” and warned parents this shooting “could have been anybody’s son”.

Mrs Ogunboro, who runs Mothers Against Guns in Liverpool, was joined at the murder scene by Mary Kelly, whose son Liam was shot dead in Toxteth in 2004, aged just 16.

Both wearing T-shirts bearing faces of their murdered children, the mothers urged the community to claim back their streets and pleaded to the gangs to put down their weapons.

Mrs Ogunboro said: “I can’t describe the sorrow in my heart for Rhys’ family, they will have to travel down a long, dark road to try and overcome this tragedy. How can anyone kill such a young lad, he’s onlyS a baby?

“Ages of these poor gun victims are getting younger and younger. I dread to think how young the next victim will be.”