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Gunsmith as guilty as our son's killers, say parents of shot boy
Rob Singh, Evening Standard27 Aug 2008
The parents of murdered Michael Dosunmu today accused the underworld gunsmith who provided the lethal weapon of being as guilty as the men who fired the shots.
As Grant Wilkinson was convicted of converting Mac 10 sub-machineguns and supplying them to criminals, Shakira and Rasak Dosunmu, speaking publicly for the first time since their son was killed, also made an emotional appeal for people with guns to hand them in.
Michael, 15, died after being sprayed with bullets from a Mac 10 linked to Wilkinson's Berkshire factory as the boy slept in bed in Peckham in February last year.
Mohammed Sannoh and Abdi Omar Noor mistook Michael for his brother, Hakeem, 26, who was their intended target. The pair were convicted of murder at the Old Bailey in June.
Mrs Dosunmu, 46, said: "I think gun-makers are as guilty as the people who are using the gun."
The Dosunmus said they were shocked when they heard about the gun factory but pleased that Wilkinson had been brought to justice.
"It's a breakthrough," said Mr Dosunmu. "The factory that made the gun has now been sealed off - a lot of guns are traced to that factory.
"Hopefully it will act as a deterrent to others."
He added: "You are talking about blood money - this is not a legitimate business or legitimate money. They are selling the guns to the underworld just to kill people and it's all because of greed."
The Dosunmus, who are psychiatric nurses, made an impassioned appeal for the public to help remove the guns from the streets.
Mrs Dosunmu said: "I am begging them in the name of God, for the love of this country, for the peace of this country, to please come forward and speak to the police.
"If they are aware of any gun anywhere they should please, for the sake of young innocent souls that have been shed, I am begging them to please come forward.
"The police can't work in isolation - the public have to work with the police, they have to start trusting the police. Those guns need to be taken off the streets for the safety of everyone in this country."
Mr Dosunmu added: "We need to keep the guns out of circulation. The police need to do something like a gun amnesty where people with illegal guns can hand them in."
Michael's parents described the popular, church-going schoolboy as a "lovely boy with so much potential" and said his death had "ripped the family apart".
Mrs Dosunmu said: "You couldn't fault him. I miss him so much - he was such a lovely boy."
She added: "It has been terrible. Life will never be the same again. I am bleeding from my heart. The pain is just unbearable."
The Dosunmus said they had only been able to keep going because of their strong Christian faith, support from their church and friends, by focusing on their jobs - and by forgiving their son's killers.
Mrs Dosunmu said: "The only way we can carry on is to forgive the killers. But it has been very difficult." Mr Dosunmu said Michael was very focused and wanted to become an architect.
"He was taken away when he was so young. They didn't allow him to fulfil his ambitions in life. He was loved by all and will remain in our hearts."
Despite their suffering, the couple, who have a 22-year-old daughter, also called Shakira, said they hoped some good could come f rom Michael's death.
Mrs Dosunmu said: "We can still do something - it's not too late. People can still talk to the police. The people behind this criminal activity can change their ways.
"We cannot go on like this. It has to stop now. We just can't allow another family to go through this pain."
