Family and close friends of Paul Massey met outside his home in Clifton, Salford on Sunday to commemorate a year since what is perhaps the most high-profile murder in Salford history.
The gathering gave close family a chance to appeal again to the local community for anyone with even the slightest scrap of information about the night Paul was killed to come forward.
The shooting dead of Paul Massey on Sunday 26 July 2015 devastated his family.
But it’s also sparked ongoing violence between gangs in Salford that family fear won’t end until his killer or killers are brought to justice.
Family need justice and closure, they tell SalfordOnline
Niece Donna Massey said: “Paul wasn’t a gangster. He was a mediator. He policed the gangs in Salford.
“You know my uncle was a Salford person, he absolutely loved Salford and loved the community.
“He ran for Mayor [in 2012] because he wanted to be the voice of the community.
“He wanted the best, especially for the most deprived families in Salford.
“I hope people can remember all the good Paul did for them and please, if you know anything, please come forward.”
The invite-only gathering on Sunday 24 July served as a space where Paul’s many family members could come together in his memory.
They’ve been doing this every Sunday since Paul was killed.
Family had received notification of an Osman warning – or threat to life warning – around six weeks before the 55-year-old grandfather was shot dead in his driveway.
It was an outrageous move which has sparked recriminations both in England and overseas.
This week marks 12 months since his untimely death.
The shooter hid in an alleyway behind a bus stop, next to St Anne’s Church, before spraying Paul with bullets and fleeing on foot into the tangle of woods and greenery behind the local Clifton community centre.
Family were keen to stress that the picture painted of Paul by the national newspapers was inaccurate.
Childhood friend James Blackborough said: “I’d known Paul since we were 10. We used to knock about together and we were always laughing.
He was a good man, a great man, one of the safest men I knew.
Signs asking for witnesses are still up on Manchester Road, 12 months on
“The things that are written about him in the media are just wrong.
“He saved a lot of lives.
“He would have been the best Mayor this city’s ever had.”
Police still have a £50,000 reward out for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who killed Paul Massey.
Detectives are expected to renew their call for the community to come forward on the anniversary of his death, Tuesday 26 July 2016.
Photography by Sidshots Media
