Youth caught in hail of gunfire at Campden Park

The mother of a teenage boy who was wounded by gunfire last week is calling on youths to find other ways of dealing with anger, other than violence.

Auldine Daniel’s son, Andre ‘Baba’ James, a fourth form student of the Bethel High School, was shot twice on Thursday, March 3, at around 6 p.m. in Campden Park.{{more}}

Speaking to the SEARCHLIGHT on Monday in Kingstown, Daniel said that what is upsetting is that her son was not involved in the altercation, “and he got the worst of it.”

Reports are that James and some friends were hanging out in Bellamy, Campden Park, when one of his cousins and a youngster got into an altercation, after which the young man made a phone call.

Minutes after, two gunmen appeared and fired shots into the crowd, hitting James twice, while he was fleeing towards his home.

He was hit in his left forearm and left shoulder.

“Right now, my child fingers not giving him any feelings. His fingers giving him problems, so now he out of school and in pain,” said Daniel, who revealed that when she heard her son had been shot, she ran to the scene and when she saw the condition he was in, she took off her top and used it to stop the bleeding.

“I hearing that people were saying that he and a youth man was liming and somebody say they take him for the youth man, but if that is the case, you can’t expect to kill people and you don’t know who is who,” said the angry mother, who disclosed that this is the first time that she is going through this sort of drama, as her son does not give her any trouble and is always there for her when she needs him.

“On the way to the hospital, he was losing blood, so we was trying to talk to him to not make him pass out. I was really sad,” said Daniel, adding “He don’t even get in trouble. He is a good son and the only one live with me out of my four children.”

She added that she is now scared for the life of her son and her other family members.

“I think our life is in danger right now, because we might say peace and the other people say war. It ain’t make no sense you say peace and the other say war. I will like to know who shoot him and something come out of it because it look bad and everybody know my son don’t trouble nobody,” said Daniel, who when she heard her son had been shot, thought it was a joke.

“I am calling on the youths to humble themselves and change their lives, because the way the world going right now it make sense give your life to Christ. Old people say in the midst of life, we are in death and it hard for a mother to bury her young son. The young people need to put aside anger,” said Daniel.

The scared mother said that she is encouraging her son to keep off the road, as she leaves it up to God to sort out the incident.

“I’m not saying my children are always to be trusted. I trust them in front my face, but sometimes things are different behind back; but while that is so, he didn’t trouble anyone.”

Police detained and released a number of individuals in relation to the assault, but up to press time last night, no one had been charged.

James was discharged from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) on Saturday.(LC)