Teenager killed during 'argument'

Kadeem Blackwood was walking with friends when he was shot

A teenager who was fatally shot in Derby was confronted by another group of young men, investigators have said.

Kadeem Blackwood, 15, died after being shot in the chest near a park in Sunnyhill on Tuesday night.

Derbyshire Police said the teenager was walking across a children's play area when an argument broke out.

A post-mortem examination showed he died from a single shotgun wound. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

'Precious boy'

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: "Some sort or argument occurred and a shot was fired, at which stage, a number of males involved in the incident ran off.

"We have obtained a number of significant statements but we would appeal again for anyone with information which might be relevant to contact us.

"Far from being met by a wall of silence, residents have been excellent in their response to us."

On Wednesday evening, church leaders joined teenagers on the streets of the estate where the teenager was shot to call for calm.

Mr Blackwood's family also asked witnesses to come forward.

His family released a statement saying they were "devastated about the loss of their precious young boy".

He was a loving grandson and I am saddened by his loss Kadeem Blackwood's grandmother

About 20 teenage friends of Mr Blackwood gathered close to the police cordon at the scene of his murder on Wednesday night.

They placed two candles, flowers and a picture of him at the foot of a tree in the park.

The group of boys and girls stood in silence, some of them hugging each other while others cried.

A police statement said the teenager was on the Caxton Street recreation ground at 2119 GMT on Tuesday when he was shot in the chest.

He was taken to the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary but died from his injuries.

His grandmother, who asked not to be named, said: "He was a loving grandson and I am saddened by his loss. He was my only grandson. He had good manners, was always polite and always smiling."

Pastor Patrick Dawkins, who works locally, said his church was trying to help stop violence in the city and added that more police patrols or curfews might be necessary to tackle the problem.

"There are lots of organisations trying to do things in the community - we run a project called Open Doors... and we run mentoring groups," he said.