A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder linked to a fatal shooting in Manchester that claimed two lives more than six years ago.
Junior Ajose, 36, and Cheriff Tall, 21, were shot dead in the early hours of 21 June 2020 during a lockdown party in the Moss Side area. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the suspect was detained in Turkey and returned to England on Saturday, where he was met by officers at Stansted Airport. He remains in custody.
The pair, who did not know each other, were shot in the head in a car park off Caythorne Street shortly before 01:00 BST and later died in hospital. GMP estimated that between 300 and 400 people were present at the gathering at the time.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from the force’s major incident team, stated that the arrest highlighted the police’s dedication to securing justice for the victims and their families. He noted that over the past six years, investigators have executed multiple warrants, analyzed seized evidence, and examined devices while pursuing every opportunity to identify those responsible.
The force had previously issued an appeal for information on the fifth anniversary of the deaths. A £50,000 reward is still available for information leading to the conviction of the killer. Detectives continue to ask the public for details that could help establish the full circumstances of the incident and identify any remaining suspects.
This just proves how cold cases can still be solved with enough persistence. Hopefully, this leads to a full conviction soon.
I find it hard to believe the suspect was hiding in Turkey for half a decade without detection. Doesn’t that raise serious questions about the earlier investigation?
Six years later and finally some closure for the families. Justice may be slow, but it is certainly not blind here.