Teenager shot at memorial for schoolboy shooting victim Keon Lincoln
A teenager is in hospital after a gunman opened fire at a memorial for a 15-year-old boy who was murdered in a gang shooting.
The 17-year-old man was shot in the foot at Handsworth Cemetery, where a crowd had gathered to pay tribute on the first anniversary of Keon Lincoln's murder.
Keon died after being shot and stabbed in Linwood Road - one mile away from the cemetery where Friday's shooting happened.
Four teenagers, including a 16-year-old from Walsall who cannot be named for legal reasons, were handed life sentences in November after being convicted of his murder.
Police are now appealing for information after Friday's shooting happened at around 3pm and saw a 17-year-old taken to hospital with a gunshot injury to his foot.
The victim's injuries are not thought to be serious, West Midlands Police said, and officers are speaking to witnesses and looking for forensic evidence to establish what happened.
So far no arrests have been made.
The attack was one of three shootings in the region in three days, coming in between a drive-by attack on a Walsall business and a shooting on a residential road in West Bromwich. All three incidents left men injured
Detective Sergeant McCullogh, said: "This is a shocking thing to happen in broad daylight and while people were paying their respects after the tragic loss of Keon last year.
"There remains so much sadness following his death.
"Guns have no place on our streets, they cause misery and harm and we do not want to see more people injured or killed because of them.
"I’d encourage anyone who has any information to contact us, anonymously if you prefer, because as we’ve seen here, and when Keon was murdered, carrying weapons is dangerous and causes heartbreak."
Keon died in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, having been attacked with knives and fired at twice at about 3.35pm on January 21 last year.
Italy-born gunman Yussuf Mustapha, aged 14 and from Birmingham, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years.
Mustapha’s co-defendants Tahjgeem Breakenridge, 18, and Michael Ugochukwu, 18, were both sentenced to life for murder with a minimum term of 19 years.
The 16-year-old Walsall youth also convicted of Keon’s murder was ordered to be detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure and to serve at least 17 years.
Kieron Donaldson, 19, was sentenced to a 12-year custodial term for Keon’s manslaughter, having supplied weapons to those involved in the killing.
Anyone who saw anything at Handsworth Cemetery or has information is urged to contact police as soon as possible.
This can be done via Live Chat or by calling 101 and quoting log 2616 of January 21. Alternatively, to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111.
