Baby Dashawn Dwehene is Released from K.H.M.H. after Being Shot by His Father in Gales Point
Dashawn Dwehene
Baby Dashawn Dwehene from Gales Point Manatee was discharged today from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he had been recovering from a gunshot wound to the back. Over the weekend, the newborn was shot by his father Lincoln Dwehene with a safety-off pellet gun. The child’s mother, Tyreeka Welch spoke to News Five today as she exited the K.H.M.H. In response of a statement made by the National Committee for Families and Children, which questioned the intentionality of the incident, Welch says that the pellet gun went off accidentally and her common-law husband should not be held responsible.
Tyreeka Welch
Tyreeka Welch, Mother of Shooting Victim
“Me and my baby mi di walk home from my granny and my bwai meet we and he get the baby from me. Then when we mi di go home, we saw a snake and one of my cousin mi have the pellet gun and he get the pellet gun from my cousin and he give my cousin the baby—the gial weh mi deh with me. And he shoot at the snake and same time wah man come out and kill the snake, but my bwai mi done put wah next bullet ina di pellet gun. So we continue walk, but the direction ah weh he mi have the pellet gun dah towards we and he mi di hold it ina fi he hand. And he never know the safety neva deh on and the pellet gun accidentally gone off and ketch the baby. The baby mi di sleep ina fi she hand and we hear the baby out and I know my baby always cry ina ih sleep and so I neva mi di pay it no mind. Then my bwai gone and he check the baby – cause he know the pellet gun gone off. And when he see it, he run with the baby towards his sister and ker ahn to ih man. By that time deh, I dropped on the ground cause I know dah shot the babty get shot from the time I see he run. And I drop on the ground and pass out.”
Duane Moody
“So from what part of the body was the baby hit?”
Tyreeka Welch
“In the back and he see blood.” My bwai all time di play wit he baby. So he neva mean it; it was an accident.”
Reporter
“He’s a good father?”
Tyreeka Welch
“Yes ma’am.”
Duane Moody
“So how long have you guys been together?”
Tyreeka Welch
“Me and my bwai been together four years, but I just gone live with them last summer with he, ih ma and ih pa and my brother-in-law.”
Reporter
“Just describe to we just how difficult the situation is—yo see yo baby ina di hospital and everything?”
Tyreeka Welch
“Every day when I go look for my baby, I cry. But today when dehn tell me my baby alright and they come out and the social worker come talk to me, I feel better.”
Reporter
“What the doctors say?”
Tyreeka Welch
“They say the bullet stil ina ahn by ih spine, but it no wah affect ahn. Later on when ih grow, the bullet gwen to the surface of ih skin and then dehn wah could cut it out.”
