The murder of Edinboro born, New Montrose resident Alfanzo Ellason Davy brings to mind the 1997 song by John King, âHow many more?â
Alfanzo, better known as âLLâ and âBlack,â was shot about six times last Saturday, August 6, while awaiting public transport with a friend at Rose Place.
He died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), minutes after the lone gunman opened fire on him, causing him to flee and fall at the gate of the MCMH, after which he was helped inside by a friend.{{more}}
On Monday, one of Alfanzoâs aunts, who spoke with SEARCHLIGHT on the condition of anonymity, stressed that her nephew was trying his best to lift himself out of poverty and had got a job as a mechanic.
âI think too many youths are going down senselessly. How many more have to die before we start looking at ways for youths to channel their energy productively, somewhere else than violence?â asked the distraught woman.
The government employee said that the last interaction with her nephew came about a month ago when he asked her for monetary assistance to obtain his licence, as that was one of the prerequisites of his job.
âHe had already started that path of knowing himself and knowing the ghetto was not for him and he had a lot more to live for,â said the woman who is adamant that structured programmes can help curb the spate of violence here, especially by the youths.
She noted that, in her opinion, the youths these days leave school and have nothing to do and as a result get caught up with bad company and no longer use methods like a fist fights to solve minor disputes.
âThey take a life for no reason. Alfanzo was struggling to get out of the ghetto. We have to do something; maybe hanging needs to come back inâ.
Alfanzoâs sister, Isha Davy, described her brother as a very quiet person.
âNothing never trouble him; he is not the type of person that would run up on you just so. He was also very respectful,â stressed Isha.
âIn my opinion, I believe my brother found himself with the wrong set of people at the wrong time. I donât see the reason why they have to shoot him like that, five times,â said Isha, who stressed that her brother was not the type of person to get involved in violence or pick sides in a dispute.
âIâm not pleased about what happened and the way in which he died. I donât think it was called for. He was not putting himself in trouble,â Isha told SEARCHLIGHT.
The Edinboro woman said that what is going on in the country is very bad, as âis just ghetto people fighting against ghetto people.â
She noted that her brother was waiting on a van at Rose Place at around 9 p.m. when he was shot. She said he was only in that area because the traffic had been diverted because of ongoing road works on the Leeward Highway.
The dead manâs mother, Brenda Davy, not wanting to say much, did offer this: âHe is in a better place. I leave it to God. God will serve justiceâ.
Alfanzo was born on December 29th, 1986. He was 29 years old. (LC)