A YOUNG dad shot dead at a friend's wake had been trying to escape Manchester's violent gang culture which had already claimed the life of his brother.
Tyrone Gilbert, 23, had been a `serious player' in the notorious Longsight Crew but wanted to start a life away from crime to bring up his three children.
And he was to become a dad again. Tyrone's pregnant girlfriend Lisa has paid tribute to him.
She said: "Everyone is devastated. His kids loved every bone in his body. They loved playing and doing things with their daddy and now they will never be able to play with him again. I know he loved his kids very much.
"We were just looking forward to our first baby daughter being born. She would have been a daddy's little girl."
He was killed just before midnight on Friday after drive-by gunmen opened fire on Frobisher Close in Chorlton-on-Medlock, where mourners had been paying their respects to Ucal Chin, 24, who was shot dead last month.
Tyrone's murder will be doubly devastating for his family. Seven years ago his brother Marcus Greenidge was murdered on nearby Bletchley Close.
Marcus, 21, was killed, and three others were injured, after notorious Manchester gangster Thomas Pitt - leader of the Pitt Bull Crew - ambushed rivals from the Longsight Crew.
Tyrone himself was named as a member of the Longsight Crew in a 2005 court case which followed a showdown between the gang and south Manchester rivals the Gooch Crew as they visited shot pals in Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Tyrone was given a 20-month sentence for affray for his part in the fracas, which saw gang members chase each other through the corridors of the hospital and use trolleys as battering rams as nurses held doors closed to protect patients.
Respects
A friend has said since getting out of jail Tyrone had moved away from the Grove Village estate and been trying to devote his time to his three children.
The 23-year-old family friend and witness to the murder, who did not wish to be named, said Tyrone had only returned to the area on Friday to pay his respects at Ucal Chin's family home.
She said: "It took Tyrone a few years to get over Marcus' death. But he had moved away from the area and was trying to sort himself out. He was only down here for the funeral of his friend. He didn't come down here armed because he wasn't like that.
"I have known him all my life. His family are decent and now they have lost two sons. He grew up here and some of the boys down here have got a name. But everybody had been trying get Tyrone away from that lifestyle, everybody liked him."
It is thought that a green Honda Legend and another car were travelling along Marksfield Avenue when shots were fired from the cars into Frobisher Close towards Tyrone and a group of people who had gathered on the street.
Tyrone and a 33-year-old man were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but Tyrone died later. A post mortem showed he died from a wound to the chest.
Police believe the gunman fired indiscriminately at the crowd of mourners.
The other victim is stable in hospital with a leg wound. The Honda was abandoned on Firethorn Avenue in Burnage.
A short time later police received reports of a 14-year-old boy shot in the leg on Stretford Road, Hulme. His condition is not thought to be life- threatening.
Police are working to establish if the two incidents are linked. The witness who spoke to the M.E.N. said she was one of a group of mourners invited back to Ucal Chin's mother's home on Frobisher Close after the funeral on Friday night.
Describing the terrifying moment the cars screeched into the street, she said: "The gunmen opened fire recklessly.
"I was in my car with some little kids I was about to take home and my car got hit by bullets."
"The women and kids that were outside were screaming and threw themselves on the floor. Other people were running. Tyrone was one of them but he got caught in the stomach and ran before sinking to the floor."
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AH, Manchester (30/07/2007 at 09:12)
Law abiding people in Manchester have had enough of law breaking, nuisance people!
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 10:49)
AH, Manchester (30/07/2007 at 10:56)
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 11:08)
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 11:10)
Ricky G, Perth WA (30/07/2007 at 11:14)
I think you will find North Korea is a communist/stalinist country rather than "another fascist state".
AH, Manchester (30/07/2007 at 11:15)
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 11:48)
dave clare, perth australia (30/07/2007 at 12:32)
David,North M/C (30/07/2007 at 12:41)
AH, Manchester (30/07/2007 at 12:45)
Things have got worse since your granddad's day and I dread the future if we are all allowed to carry on like this.
miss feroux (30/07/2007 at 12:46)
Joey, Ashton under Lyne, (30/07/2007 at 12:47)
So remember little children the Pub Quiz where you are asked "Who the **** are you looking at?" is not new.
dessie, manchester (30/07/2007 at 12:57)
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 13:05)
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 13:09)
I used to come over for visits when I was younger in 80's and got to know young kids who were in familys connected with the crime, these same young kids are now involved in the gun crime. To think something could have been done at an early age to prevent crime that is happening now.
shayna (30/07/2007 at 13:16)
when 'grand dad' was young, the criminals who wanted to dispose of rivals disposed of them, now the shots and retributions are too often indescriminate; too bad if an innocent bystander gets in the way.
there are those who think it's a laugh to block the path of emergency vehicles & can get away it.
there are videos of young kids beating each other up on the internet.
there are those who would enter public bldgs. and use stretchers as 'battering rams' in their quest for gang rival satisfaction...the list goes on...where's the end?
did the people in 'grand dad's' day, have such total disrespect for others?
what about 'road rage' and just plain inconsiderate 'who cares about you' attitudes towards unsafe driving practices?
no respect for Life.... just read the news; 'grand pa' would be shocked by society's deterioration....
dave clare, perth australia (30/07/2007 at 13:22)
alix, manchester (30/07/2007 at 13:24)
Jayne, Manchester (30/07/2007 at 13:28)
The battles between these gangs go back years and the police are well aware of the gang members. As are the communities but people are too frightened to speak out.
People need to find the courage to speak out and know that the police will act on the information provided.
I am not sure that the answer is to bring back hanging but something needs to make these people think twice.
Calamity (30/07/2007 at 15:10)
The problem stems from too many children being brought up without a father. If these young men were made to take responibility for their families, instead of being allowed to play at gangsters, they would not have the time to go around shooting one another. I bet hardly any of them work. I object to paying taxes to keep their kids. Sad to say, but I would now be totally ashamed to say I was brought up in Moss Side. If I never go there again, it will be too soon. My sympathies to the families of the dead. If people want to stamp out this culture, they have to get tough. Make it clear to these young men who have children all over the place that they are going to be made to support them financially, and will be forced to work, or have all their benefits stopped. If they did an honest days work they would not have time for childish gangs. I bet if they had to pay for the kids they abandon, they would soon stop having kids at the drop of a hat.
Jay (30/07/2007 at 15:13)
My heart goes out to his family.
On another note, British Law is slow & outdated, All they need do is produce targets, bring in armed police & raid, if it saves lives who cares what the outcome is as long as it ends up positive but no the police have to do thier paper work so they have something as backup if it all goes wrong, our countries laws are pathetic.
Im tired of hearing about these low life gangster bullies, they aint gangsters atall, thier just a small bunch of pathetic humans with guns & knives pretending to be what thier not, thier not gangsters, thier morons & i say bring back the death penalty for people like this that think they can take life without paying along with the other low lifes in society.
I am truely sorry to say what i feel about issues here but i had to say it.
Ending with i hope tyrone's family soon find piece & i honour Tyrone for showing ability, courage & strength to walk away from it all to better him & his childrens/families lives. may you rest in peace.
mancmonkey (30/07/2007 at 15:20)
Pescado (30/07/2007 at 16:07)
It is the moss after all.
come-on-city (30/07/2007 at 16:12)