A gunman opened fire in Brixton Hill on Monday (September 8), killing one man and nearly killing 20-year-old fruit punch vendor Ali Sesay
A 20-year-old shooting victim has said that he ‘100 per cent forgives’ the perpetrator – despite it being ‘a miracle’ he survived the incident. Ali Sesay, from East Dulwich, narrowly escaped with his life on Monday (September 8) when a gunman opened fire into a car park where he was sitting, hitting him and killing another man, aged 27.
Ali – who recently won the Greenwich Entrepreneur Of The Year Award – is the Director of Elixir Punch, a non-alcoholic drink made with fresh fruit, stocked in off-licences across London such as Clapham, Tottenham, and Bermondsey. He was doing what he does best, delivering crates of his drink to a customer in Brixton Hill, when he was blasted in the gut.
He said: “I was sat by the crate and on the phone when suddenly I heard a group of boys scream ‘opps’, but because I’m not part of that [criminal] lifestyle it meant nothing to me and I wasn’t phased. But as I turned to my right I saw an unknown gunman come towards me and shoot at me at least five times, with one shot going through the bottom of my stomach and out my back. He then ran forward to another group of boys in the estate and multiple shots were fired.”
But the 20-year-old didn’t panic, he stayed calm and called 999. His friend who he’d travelled with then used her cardigan to apply pressure on the wound. Ali follows Islam and says he ‘knew he wasn’t dying that day’ as while he was bleeding on the floor he said the Shahadah, a Muslim declaration of faith which is the most sacred statement in Islam.
It sees followers say “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah (subhanawatala), and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah (subhanawatala)”.
He also said that his parents were of course very upset their son had been shot, but were also ‘calm’ because as deeply religious people they ‘had faith nothing was going to happen to their son’. Ali added their sense of calm stems from the fact ‘he’s not involved in that lifestyle, and has never even been arrested’.
‘I forgive the shooter’
Police are yet to make any arrests in relation to the double shooting. The business leader says he ‘100 per cent forgives his shooter’ who he believes must have been involved in gang crime. He insisted: “Whatever happened, he thought I was from that estate and he thought whoever he had shot was an opposing enemy towards him and in all honesty if the shooter had seen my face, or had an inkling of what I was doing there, I’d have never been shot.
Although doctors told Ali – who set up his business at just 14 – it’s a ‘miracle’ he survived as the bullet didn’t hit his major arteries or major organs, he’s ‘not angry’ he was shot and even forgives the gunman. “I’m not involved in that lifestyle, so it was just surprising I’d been shot. Even when the [other] group of boys were screaming ‘opps’, I thought it was a joke and I wasn’t hit when the first few shots went off.
“I’m very understanding, as I said I wasn’t angry when I got shot. I understand the situation, there’s gang violence going on, but I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
‘I am absolutely not involved – and never have been – in gangs or any form of crime, and I will enjoy proving you wrong if you stereotype me’
Ali made it crystal clear that he has never been involved in anything untoward and dreams of developing his business. But despite this, at just 20 he ‘understands’ why someone may think he is.
He said: “We all have a certain way that we dress, but it’s bad to judge a book by its cover because when they see who I am they’ll say ‘oh, he’s definitely not part of that lifestyle’. I like to surprise people and prove them wrong when they stereotype me’.
‘My heart goes out to the victim’s family’
Even though he’s currently recovering from his injuries in a South London hospital, Ali has paid tribute to the victim.
He said: “My heart goes out to the family, because although I’m totally fine, it’s [the man who died] a great loss. And of course I heard everything that happened, because the victim wasn’t far away from me when he got shot. My deepest condolences go to the family and everyone that knows them.
‘Gang violence is very real’
Even though he’s far removed from gangs, Ali wants people to recognise that ‘gang violence is very real and it’s not a joke’. He said: “This should be a lesson to a lot of people, I’ve experienced gang violence first hand. People are trying to kill other people here.
“Violence needs to stop, and responding to violence with violence is not the answer. Some people in my situation would be thinking ‘I’m going to seek revenge’, but I’m thinking about the next money move for my business.”
What do I do if I see someone who has been shot and is bleeding?
According to the NHS website, if someone has been shot and is heavily bleeding, the main aim is to prevent further blood loss and minimise the effects of shock. You must dial 999 as a matter of priority, and if you have them, put disposable gloves on to minimise passing on an infection.
You should then check to see there’s nothing stuck in the wound, and if there is, take care not to press down on it. Instead, press firmly on either side of it and build up padding around it before bandaging it so you don’t put pressure on the object.
And make sure you don’t remove it as it could be helping to stop the bleeding.
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