Family Torn Apart by Gun Violence as Teen Killed, Cousin Hospitalized

Tonight, a family is mourning an unthinkable loss. Fifteen-year-old Rackeem Armstrong was gunned down Sunday night in Gardenia Village, what began as a simple trip to the shop ended in tragedy. Police say a gunman opened fire on a group of relatives gathered outside their home, killing the teen and critically injuring his cousin, eighteen-year-old Justin Young. Tonight, Young is fighting for his life at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, while loved ones struggle to come to terms with the violence and prepare to lay young Rackeem to rest.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

A quick trip to the shop turned deadly Sunday night when fifteen-year-old Rackeem Armstrong was gunned down in Gardenia Village. The teen had gone to buy a soft drink and stopped near his cousin Justin Young’s home, where family members were gathered. Moments later, a lone gunman opened fire, killing Armstrong and leaving eighteen-year-old Young injured.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“Both Armstrong and Young were in a group of other male persons on an unnamed street in Gardenia Village when an armed male person approached the group and fired several shots, which resulted in the fatal shooting of Armstrong and the injury of Young. Preliminary investigation suggests that the motive for this incident is in relation to a dispute over a motorcycle.?

 

Reporter

“Can you confirm if the fifteen-year-old was the intended target?”

 

ASP Stacy Smith

“We do not know who was the intended target at this time.”

 

Justin’s mother, Kayla Young, was there when the scene unfolded. She says neither her son nor Rackeem Armstrong were involved in any wrongdoing, and she cannot understand why anyone would turn whatever issue they had with the family into gun violence.

 

 

 

 

Voice of: Kayla Young, Mother of Shooting Victim

“Everybody is there as normal, and I just saw this one guy, one special person coming in, and all I see was light pop. I couldn’t even realize what was going on, right? And when I can’t, just everyone is dashing around, so I dashed, too. But when I realized I saw two kids down, which in, which was a fifteen-year-old and my son, who is eighteen. I went back to the site where I see the two boys drop, and that’s when I realized that my son was one of them, and my younger cousin was one of them. And it is, I can’t even believe it. I still dream, dream.”

 

 

Justin Young was set to start job training at BATSUB today, but after a gunman shot him in the spine, he remains in the hospital instead. Meanwhile, Armstrong’s family say they still cannot process their immeasurable loss.

 

Voice of: Father of Deceased

“Whatever or whoever did this, this was uncalled for, Because he’s not a violent child. He’s not a child that goes around picking on people, robbing people, or doing anything out the way. He’s school. Home. He’s an honor roll student. We just spoke to the principal from the school and she had so many good things to say about him. And there’s so many people here in this village that if you question them about him, you’ll actually find out that he’s a good child. And he’s young.”

 

 

 

Armstrong loved football and singing and was the youngest of seven children. Rackeem’s father believes that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was likely mistaken for someone else.

 

Voice of: Father of Deceased

“He had good aspirations to become somebody. He wanted to do the Coast Guard thing, and I was pushing him to do the Coast Guard thing as well, right? And as I said, he was a good child, and basically he always talk about building his home and having a home and getting married and certain little things, just growing up and watching other things he has, he was aspiring to do good then.”

 

 

 

After being rushed to the KHMH for treatment, Young underwent surgery, where the bullet was successfully removed. Now, his family is holding on to hope he will walk again as they pray for justice.

 

Voice of: Kayla Young

“Nobody could testify and say that my kids, they’re unruly, or my kids, they steal, or my kids disrespectful. Where I get the praises, they tell me, “Kayla you have nice boys,” and stuff. So for say somebody just come and open fire, and I see my son drop, that just hurt. I still can’t believe that it happened.”

 

 

At the time of his death, Rackeem Armstrong’s family was planning his upcoming birthday celebration and his sister’s high school graduation. Now, instead of the party, they are planning a funeral. Britney Gordon for News Five.

 

Police say that the victims were not known to police and are seeking two suspects at this time.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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