Mother of murdered Sheffield man eager for less young people to be led astray into violent crime
21-year-old Lamar Griffiths was shot & killed at a car wash earlier this year
The mother of a Sheffield man-who was shot dead at a car wash in South Yorkshire-tells us she wants to make sure fewer young people are led astray into a life of crime.
On the 29th of March this year, Lamar Griffiths was on the way to visit his grandmother when he stopped at the Diamond Hand Car Wash in the Burngreave area of Sheffield.
He was chatting to a friend there, before he was tragically shot & killed, in what his mother says was a case of mistaken identity:
In a radio exclusive-we've spoken to Lamar's mum-Monique Bate:
"I carried Lamar. I brought him up and nurtured him. I felt something leave me on the day he died.
"I still feel, literally minutes into grief, and I still can't breathe right to this day. I don't think I'll ever be able to breathe properly again.
"When it happened, I felt exactly that way; like I couldn't breathe.
"When you lose a child, it's hard enough, but when you lose a child to murder, it's even harder to get your head around.
"Lamar was so loving, so thoughtful and so kind. I've had to just move forward positively to keep his name going and make a difference.
"I could easily be bitter about everything, but I don't want to do that. Lamar wouldn't want that.
"Since his passing, his legacy still lives on, and I still feel his love every single day and he inspires me every single day.
"Lamar made you feel like you were the only person in the room".
In honour of her late son, the 39-year-old says she's keen to make sure more youngsters from deprived communities get more career opportunities, so they don't end up in violent organised crime:
"I'm going to set up a youth group, which will target those children who come from single-parent households.
"It'll give them opportunities in music and sport. I want it to be safe environment for these youngsters to focus on their passions.
"It'll also help them access extra bits for their CV's, so they can go into jobs and feel confident in the abilities they've got.
"For me, it's all about motivating these children.
"These kids have got trauma, and they need to talk.
"Especially males. A lot of males are told to just carry on, and that is a stagnant way of thinking.
"We need to start changing this, as we're seeing how this is affecting our communities today".
Nobody's been charged with Lamar's murder up to now, but Monique's not focusing directly on that for now:
"If justice comes and I get my day in court, then so be it.
"If it doesn't, I'm happy anyway because Lamar left me with such an immense love, and that can't be taken away from me.
"He may not be here anymore, but his legacy will live on.
"We've got some of the toughest gun laws in Europe, and my question is, how are these weapons making it on to the streets?
"I want to know how, and who is making it so accessible for these thing children to be picking up guns?"
You can read more about Lamar's legacy on the link below:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/lamars-legacy-forever-21