THE mother of a teenage girl killed in a gangland shooting has told of her sorrow for Tariq Jahan whose son Haroon was killed during the Birmingham riots.
Marcia Shakespeare said she admired the bravery of Mr Jahan, who called for peace immediately after his 21-year-old son was killed in a road smash.
Haroon was killed along with brothers Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, as they guarded property near the Jet Filling Station on Dudley Road, Winson Green, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 10.
Marcia said the reaction of Mr Jahan was similar to the stance she adopted after her 17-year-old daughter Letisha was shot down in Aston in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2003.
She was murdered along with her close friend Charlene Ellis, aged 18.
Marcia said: “I see a lot of myself in Tariq. When the girls were killed I went out onto the streets to say that ‘if you can kill Letisha and Charlene you can kill anyone’ because they were just innocent bystanders caught up in the gang shootings.
“All I wanted was justice. That was all I required and all I’ve ever required.
“Mr Jahan has been the same.
“He is a man of heart and there’s not many people of heart. It’s only love that makes you have respect and not seek revenge.”
Marcia drew several other parallels between the tragic deaths in Winson Green and the shootings of Letisha and Charlene.
But she added: “The hardest thing for the father was the fact that he tried to save his son.
“There were people at the scene who tried to save Letisha.
“I’m glad I didn’t witness that.”
Following the deaths of Charlene and Letisha, Marcia helped to set up an awards scheme to help youngsters in need to study.
She spoke out after it was revealed that a riot suspect, who has not been charged with the murders of Haroon, Sazad Ali or Abdul Musavir, received a grant from the scheme.
Renardo Farrell, aged 19, is accused of being part of a gang which ransacked and set fire to the Barton Arms pub in Aston last Tuesday.
The former fashion student, arrested near the scene, denied violent disorder at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court last week.
Renardo, who was remanded in custody, was only the second person to win a Letisha and Charlene Education Award while studying for A-levels at South Birmingham College. The scheme offers up to £2,000 to disadvantaged youths who need financial help to continue their education.
Marcia insisted the scheme was working and would continue to be used to support youngsters.
“It has been successful but it can’t help everybody,” she said.
“Looking back through our portfolio, people (who have won awards) have gone on to be doctors, teachers and social workers.
“This does not affect the education awards.
“It will still go to those who are trying to go through education whether through a lack of child care, stationery resources or course fees.”
