 Joseph Nwabuko: "Humble and gentle" |
The parents of a student shot dead as he pursued armed raiders say they are "devastated" by his death. Joseph Nwabuko was murdered on Monday night after an ambush at the Nationwide Building Society in Birmingham.
Police say he may have been gunned down as he tried to scribble the getaway car's registration.
Joseph Nwabuko's parents - who wish to remain anonymous - paid tribute to their son as a "humble and gentle" man.
�150,000 reward
They described him as a "loving son and brother" and an important part of a "close family". He had moved to Birmingham from Walsall two weeks ago.
The 28-year-old died in an alley close to the city's New Street Station and the Bullring shopping complex.
Securicor has offered a �100,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the robbers and the Nationwide another �50,000.
Detectives investigating his murder are examining extensive CCTV footage of the murder scene.
At a news conference on Wednesday, police said Joseph's death may have been the result of him recognising the three men or, because he followed them trying to note the registration of the gang's car.
'Brutal and unnecessary'
Det Ch Insp Nigel Rock of West Midlands Police described how the victim followed the men after they robbed guards restocking cash machines at about 2330 GMT on Monday.
He said: "He may have been going out of curiosity or maybe he even recognised the gang members.
"Clearly it is a brutal and totally unnecessary offence. It appears as if the offender with the gun had plenty of opportunity to get in the car and make his escape.
"For whatever reason he has chosen not to and returned to Joseph and quite deliberately shot him."
Asked to elaborate on the exact circumstances of the killing, Det Chief Insp Rock added: "It would appear as if Joseph has been in the area and had followed them.
"The indication is that Joseph walked at a normal pace down the ramp. What we don't know is why Joseph has chosen to follow these robbers."
A post-mortem examination showed Mr Nwabuko died from a gunshot wound to the chest, after a round passed through his left arm and into his lungs.
Earlier Ch Insp Steve Glover said two men had managed to kick the building society's automatic door in. He described the offence as "unusual".
He said: "The time of day is unusual, the location is unusual and they way they've gone about it is unusual."
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
It's absolutely deplorable, it's absolutely despicable 
