Brother’s tribute to murdered sister

THE brother of one of the teenage girls shot dead at a New Year party yesterday paid a moving tribute to his sister at an anti-gun crime rally.

Charlene Ellis, 18, was killed in a hail of gunshots at a hairdressing salon in Birmingham along with her 17-year-old friend Letisha Shakespeare.

Charlene’s brother Michael yesterday took to the stage at the city’s Villa Park football stadium in a cross-community memorial service to the murdered pair.

He told the nearly 8,000 people gathered in the ground that his sister was a special sister, daughter, niece and cousin. We, her family, loved her dearly.

“She was humble, innocent and intelligent, artistic and very creative. She was ambitious and she had her dreams.

“I remember when Charlene was around seven years old she was asked the question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’.

“Innocently, not realising it was a career question, she replied ‘a mum’.

Michael went on: “Charlene did not live long enough for that dream to become a reality.

“Charlene had a lot of things going for her. She was studying art and design at college and she was recording her own music.

“It is a great sadness for her to have died this way and at such a young age but my family and I have no doubt that she has gone to a better place to rest with our Lord.

“Our faith is strong that we will see her again, but until that day we live in hope.

“Although Charlene is dead in the flesh, we know that she is alive in spirit and alive in our hearts.”

Charlene’s mother, Norma, read a moving poem in tribute to the two teenagers.