By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE mother of teenager Quinton McKenzie spoke yesterday of her horror at the death of her 13-year-old son.
Quinton died on Friday morning after he was hit in his head by two bullets.
Reports indicate that shortly before 8am, police were alerted by Shot Spotter to multiple gunshots in the area of Williams Lane off Kemp Road.
When officers arrived at the scene, they were told that a young boy had been shot multiple times. He was taken to hospital by Emergency Medical Services where he later died of his injuries.
The victim’s mother, Kissie Brown-Pratt, told reporters it was the violent way her son died that hurts her the most.
She said she lies awake at night thinking about how her son was shot in the back and jaw.
“It’s how he die that’s really hurting me. A small 13-year-old boy, no weight, tiny baby. You could see he’s a baby to take two shots. One behind his neck and one in his jaw that’s real hurtful for a mother to stand here,” Mrs Brown-Pratt said.
“A lot of people say I’m strong, but only God, only God got me. Only who feels it knows it, and other people can go to their bed and sleep at night whiles I crying all night, can’t sleep through the night ‘cause my baby sleeping in the cold ice in a box with his name tag on his toes. You know how bad I feel? It’s hurting me deep inside.”
Quinton’s father Quincy McKenzie said his son was an avid sports fan and was just a month away from his 14th birthday. Alongside Mr McKenzie’s touching video tributes to his son the victim’s school LW Young Junior High also sent condolences to the slain youth on Facebook.
While investigations into the fatal shooting are continuing Superintendent Audley Peters confirmed that police have a juvenile male in custody. This suspect is currently assisting with their investigation into the incident.
