Rio Ferdinand has appealed to the public to help find his friend’s killer in a YouTube clip. Ferdinand’s friend, Rio McFarlane, 18, who also was a footballer, was shot in a gangland shooting last year September.
Police believe the murder of McFarlane is likely to have been a case of mistaken identity as he was standing next to a Lexus, belonging to a man who also was shot in another attack on Wednesday night.
Wednesday’s 34-year-old victim, who was shot in his arms and legs in South London suburb Peckham, was taken to hospital with gun wounds and is said to be in a serious but stable condition.
Witnesses have said that they saw two people running away from the scene after the machine-gun attack.
Police are working on a theory that the two attacks, involving the same Lexus, are linked. It has been suggested that the latest victim was the “real” target of the shooting last year, which killed Rio Ferdinand’s friend, Rio McFarlane.
Ferdinand grew up in the same area as the McFarlane family and the former England captain is a close friend of Rio McFarlane’s older brother Anthony.
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Now Rio Ferdinand is calling on the public to help catch the murderers of the young footballer in a video posted on Youtube.
Watch the Rio Ferdinand appeal here.
Ferdinand said: “People need to be brave and tell police who murdered him. It’s not grassing someone up, it’s giving a family justice.”
It’s believed that up to 12 people saw Rio McFarlane being murdered but all have refused to make statements because of fear for revenge attacks from gang members.
Rio McFarlane’s devastated brother Anthony said: “Rio had nothing to do with gangs. When my dad said, ‘Son, your brother is dead’ my heart just broke.”
Ferdinand says in the one-minute YouTube film: “If you are afraid, don’t be. Your identity can be protected.
“Rio loved his football and had a great future.”
The police are pleading for anyone with any information about the attacks to contact them.
Det Supt Gary Richardson said: “We need the community to come forward and speak to us about the suspects to come forward.
“We believe that the victim may have been the intended target when Rio McFarlane was hit in the chest and killed in September 2010.”
The Trident unit of Scotland Yard is offering £20,000 to anyone show can give any information which leads to convictions of those responsible.
The Sun is giving a £10,000 award to those who can help police catch the killers.
If you have any information about any of the attacks, call Trident on 020 8247 4553 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
