Moss Side shooting: Five held in lockdown party deaths probe

Abayomi Ajose, 36, and Cheriff Tall, 21, were shot dead in Moss Side

Five women have been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two men at a lockdown party.

Abayomi Ajose, 36, and Cheriff Tall, 21, were attacked at the gathering in Moss Side, Manchester, on 21 June 2020.

The pair, who did not know each other, were both shot in the head at the outdoor party attended by up to 400 people. Their killer remains at large.

The women, aged between 24 and 33, were arrested in the West Midlands on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Greater Manchester Police said officers carried out early morning raids at five homes across Handsworth, Birmingham and Stourbridge, supported by West Midlands Police and the National Crime Agency.

The shootings happened in a residential courtyard in Moss Side

In total, officers have spoken to more than 450 potential witnesses.

A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder at the time of the deaths and later released on bail.

Det Ch Insp Stuart Wilkinson said the killings "caused shockwaves throughout the Moss Side community".

He added: "The families have been left with many unanswered questions and no one to hold accountable for the death of their loved ones.

"I hope that these arrests today bring us a step closer to providing them with the justice they are rightly entitled to.

"Although we are hopeful that today's arrests could play an important part in our investigation, it is essential that anyone who has any further information about the man responsible for this horrific crime comes forward."