He was gunned down in Moss Side at the age of just 15 - now his memory will live on

Seventeen years after the tragic death of a Moss Side teenager, a mural dedicated to his memory has been restored.

Jessie James was killed by gunfire at just 15 years old on September 9, 2006, in Moss Side Community Park. Shortly after his death, his friends came together to celebrate his life by creating a huge graffiti wall mural on the wall of a building near where he sadly lost his life.

Over the years, Jessie's wall has faded and fallen into a state of disrepair. But now, in conjunction with a new community project, the wall has been brought back to life in an effort to 'shift negative narratives associated with Moss Side' and remember young people who have lost their lives to street violence.

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Measuring 26 feet wide and just under 6 feet tall, Jessie's wall was originally installed in the park by Manchester City Council as a way to tackle cars joy-riding through the park. Organiser Micky Dacks, who runs youth charity I4YPC, said he wanted reached out to the Moss Side community to brainstorm how Jessie's wall could be reimagined after noticing its dilapidated state.

"I was touched by the story behind the wall, that Jessie’s friends had come together to create a piece of art as a memorial, in the very place that he was gunned down," he said. "I saw the peeling paint and the litter and overgrowth and just felt saddened that this monument to the loss of a young life, in that young person’s community park, had been left in such a state of disrepair.”

Teaming up with Lisa