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Ricardo Cox was killed in a drive-by shooting on the corner of Mitcham Road and Derby Road in Croydon.

The 20 year old was walking back from his local take away with his brother when they were approached by three men in a car yards from their home.�� Ricardo was shot twice and died shortly afterwards in St George’s hospital, Tooting.

“Ricky was like a gentle giant.�� He was loved by everyone” said his aunt Juliet Mitchell who went on to say how much he was looking forward to going onto university next year to study IT.

At a press conference at Croydon police station, Juliet and Ricardo's brother Oniel Cox, made an emotional plea for anyone with any information to come forward and work with the police to bring his killers to justice.

“If you know anything just come forward ... Ricky didn't deserve this, he was a good boy”, pleads Oniel

Ricardo Cox, victim

Innocent victim

Ricardo had no connection with gangs says his brother who expressed his anger at the growing levels of gang violence in society.�� “The gang problem is becoming a nuisance”, he says.

“Everything that I've looked at so far as the SIO (Senior Inspecting Officer) has indicated that Ricardo was totally innocent."

"They're good lads they're not known to the police for anything.�� They're totally innocent in this, so I think it's particularly despicable we have a totally innocent victim here as a result of gun crime”, says the DCI Damian Allain

It was a heartbreaking call

Speaking of the anguish which the family are going through, Ricardo's aunt recollects the moment she had to tell his mother who is in Jamaica that he had died.��

“The hardest thing I have ever done in my life was to tell a mother her son has died, I couldn't bring myself to say he had died so, I just told her he’s gone.�� She's [his mother] devastated”, explains a tearful Juliet

“Ricky had his life in front of him he was like a peace maker”, she continues

“I'm not angry with those people, I only miss my nephew – I forgive them".�� The reason she says why she's able to forgive Ricardo's killers is because she does not believe he [Ricky] would have wanted anything else.��

“They took my heart” are the simple words of his brother.��

Watch moving appeal to the public by clicking onto video link below or top right hand of this page.�� For images of the car used by the killers, and CCTV footage of Ricardo's last few minutes, click on to TV appeal package link below:

Oniel and Ricardo lived together on Mitcham Road.�� "It's the way we use to laugh together which I will miss the most", he says

Although one person has been arrested in connection with the shooting, the police are urging anyone with any information to come forward and have released images of a vehicle the suspects are believed to have used .

“My motivation is to get hold of the people responsible for this and any information relating to the three black occupants of that vehicle.”

"I would urge anyone with any information to come forward”, says DCI Allain