Adrian Frater, News Editor
A distraught Neville 'Binghi' Reid mourns the death of his 14-year-old son, Kimanti, who was killed. - Adrian Frater Photo
WESTERN BUREAU:
A 14-YEAR-OLD schoolboy was shot dead and his 44-year-old mother shot and seriously injured in Roehampton, St. James, shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday night when gunmen invaded their home.
The teenager, Kimanti Reid, would have entered grade nine at the Anchovy High School, also in St. James, when school re-opens next week. Mitzy Duhaney, Kimanti's mom has been hospitalised with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
According to Neville 'Binghi' Reid, father of the slain youth, family members were at home watching the evening news on television when a friend stopped by. He said he offered the friend a drink and Ms. Duhaney his common-law wife went into the kitchen to get it. His son, who was about to take a bath, followed his mother into the kitchen.
"While she was in the kitchen, I heard her bawl out 'lawd Jesus Christ' and then I heard two explosions," said Mr. Reid, with tears streaming down his face. "I then hear mi friend (who was walking towards the kitchen) bawl out, "Binghi, gunman inna de house."
Mr. Reid said he jumped up from the floor, where he was sitting, just in time to see his son running at top speed through the living room. Realising that something was wrong, Mr. Reid said he went chasing after him.
"Him run about two chains from the house and when he got to my yam field he collapsed, as I knelt down beside him, he say, 'Daddy dem shoot mi in my neck' and then closed his eyes, Mr. Reid said.
During the melée in the house, another family member, who was standing towards the back of the house, was confronted by one of the gunmen, who pointed his weapon at her head. As she pleaded with him for her life, he relieved her of her cellular before retreating from the yard with his cronies.
Shortly afterwards, Ms. Duhaney was seen emerging from the kitchen with blood gushing from her stomach. She was quickly placed in a neighbour's car and carried to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she was admitted in a serious but stable condition.
Kimanti, who was lifted out of the yam field by his dad and rushed off to hospital in another vehicle, was pronounced dead on arrival.
