Henrietta Lahai, left, speaking at the vigil

BALLOONS were released and African drums played last night (Wednesday) at the spot where a young man was shot dead, as grieving family and friends came together under a banner of peace, love and unity.

The vigil in Chalton Street, organised by the community in Somers Town, remembered Nahom Medhanie as “a child of every one of us”. The 26-year-old – who grew up and lived in the area throughout his youth – was shot in a cycle-by attack on March 28, but detectives are yet to make any meaningful breakthrough in the case.

Nahom’s father spoke briefly to thank the crowd of around 50 people, some wearing special T-shirts printed for the event, adding: “It’s very sad. We cannot do anything. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone.”

Nahom Medhanie

Representing the family, Nahom’s godmother Henrietta Lahai urged the crowd: “Please, don’t see this as stabbing. See it as someone has come and taken away someone that belonged to all of you. This is a child that played in this area, born in this area. This street was a joyful place for him to go. “His mother and I came here after a very long journey. They put us together in a hostel here in Somers Town. And she became my sister for life. Nahom was like my first son.

“He wanted to be a doctor. Who is going to be my doctor now? “I want us to celebrate his life in our prayers. Father God, touch the heads of our sons and daughters. Whatever lifestyle they think they are living that they think worthy of crime, show them another way. We want to see them alive and in the next generation. We are foreigners, we thank you for bringing us to this land, but we want this place to be more than a place that we are buried.”

Mr Medhanie’s godmother leads a prayer

Event organiser Frankie Biney, who runs pan-African organisation Nkabom Group, said: “It’s very beautiful to see everyone here. It’s one of our children, you know? We have to look after one and other, and keep one and another together. When the wind blows and dust falls in my eye, it falls in the eyes of all of us.” Other speakers took up the mic to speak about the need to show to the struggling younger generation that they lived in a “community filled with hope”.

They remembered Nahom as a talented footballer who played with his mates on the Ampthill estate, and later for Somers Town FC, and also enjoyed his child­hood fun at the Plot 10 youth centre. His friends described him as a brilliant defender who few could pass on the field and that he had wanted to train to become a GP.

Nahom Mehanie’s father spoke briefly and, below, event organiser Frank Biney (right) who runs pan-African organisation Nkabom Group

Aaliyah Rivers, who runs the Spicy Laass café in Ossulston Street, listed several organisations which had supported the community event. Her café has been providing free tea, coffee and cake in the wake of the murder, and also at the vigil.

She said: “This is a young child, and he is a young child that we have lost. I hope the family can get through this hard time.” She led a one-minute silence in remembrance.

Theresa Reed, recalled Nahom as a young footballer on the Ampthill estate, said: “He was quite a shy boy and a nice lad. At the end of the day he’s another young person that’s been killed. And we’ve got another family that will have to mourn this for the rest of their lives. “Do we just forget about it? No. We need to say clearly that this young person has been killed. It’s not about knife crime this, knife crime that. It’s about someone being killed. No one deserves that.”

The shrine for Nahom Medhanie in Somers Town

The killer of Nahom is said to have approached on a e-bike before shooting him at five times before simply riding off into the night. The New Journal has since the murder investigation was launched questioned what progress detectives were making. There has been complete silence from the Met police now for almost a month since the shocking attack, and no arrests have been made.

Nahom’s killer is free, but the Met has said it is not able to go into any detail about any progress. The lack of updates or a quick arrest has heightened worries that the murder could end up on a list of unsolved killings that Camden has seen over the years.

The Met has urged anyone with information to contact police on 101 or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.