Parents speak about son shot in robbery
In the wake of Tuesday morning’s shooting of two armed robbers by a sharp-shooting merchant, the near unanimous applauding of the act of a community fed up with violent crime was not surprising. But while the two seriously wounded gunmen may have received exactly what they deserve, a look into the family background of the young men may surprise many viewers. Eighteen year old John Franklin, for example, was not-all-that-long-ago a member of the well known church choir, the Methodist Praise Singers. And twenty year old Erlin Budram, far from being the product of a stereotypical single mother upbringing, was raised by two stable parents in what appears to be an environment of love and affection. Today Ann-Marie sat down with the Budrams for a chat and found out that our ideas about crime and child rearing may need some re-examination.
Roland Budram, Erlin’s Father
“I always try to tell them what is right and what is wrong. But on the other hand, they go out there and meet their friends and together they do silly things.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“This shatters the myth that usually children who would get in trouble would come from a single parent family. Both mom and dad are here and still this happens. Any thoughts and feelings?”
Rolando Budram
“It hurts. It hurts deep inside to see that we as parents, we always want to see good come out of our children. But what else can we do? We try our best, we try to teach them the way of life, but this is what happens. Something went wrong.”
Dorothy Budram, Erlin’s Mother
“I have eight other children, seven boys and one girl. He went to St. John’s right through, went to A.C.C. till second form, and that’s where he left. I told him to go to extension, but he said “no,” but goes out and follow company.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“He was giving trouble at that time, from the time he dropped out?”
Dorothy Budram
“Not really. When he meet up with some other different friends, not from the school, but other friends he met with, then he started giving this trouble. I talked to him and tell him to look for a job. Even if it’s a hundred dollars he makes, you give your mother twenty or ten, you need a pair of tennis, they have the Turks right there, give him twenty every week and you can get it. I told him if he wants a shirt or a pants, to do the same thing, that he doesn’t have to go out there. My children do not have to do what they do out there. Everybody knows me and knows his father. He has been all over working, he has never been in trouble, no time with the law…One time with the law, with my children again. They came to my house, found three bullets in my home and one got locked up, one of my sons took the rap for it and right now he is in the prison too. I have three of them, they used to give me a lot of trouble. Once I had three sons in prison.
Ann-Marie Williams
“What was the feeling like when you got the news yesterday morning?”
Dorothy Budram
“Yesterday morning I was sitting right there reading my papers and I heard a friend holler for him. He said “one of your sons got shot,” but he didn’t say who it was. I hurry put on some clothes, ran upstairs and told the other one that Erlin got shot. Then I ran out and called Roland, he was at a neighbour’s house, and he went. When he got out there they had already taken him. We caught a vehicle and went to the hospital and saw him, but I couldn’t do nothing. I say thanks that I didn’t see him at the time on the street, because if I saw him I would have probably dropped down.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“When you saw him at the hospital, did he say anything? Could he have said anything?”
Dorothy Budram
“Yes, he was talking. He said “mommy, daddy hold my hand. Mommy, daddy, squeeze my hand, hurry squeeze my hand.” And he was crying and I said “you didn’t want to listen to mommy baby, you didn’t want to listen. Now look what you’ve put mommy into. See how much money you’re costing me right now.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“What did he say?”
Dorothy Budram
“He just shook his head and cried, because he had a thing over his face. They had to tie him down because he was tossing and with the injury he got, he can’t move up. They have him on his back, tied and the thing over his face. When I left last night he was sleeping, from here to down there (points to feet) done dead, he has no feeling; only his two hands and neck he moves. The doctor says if we get him out by today or tomorrow, he has a possibility of walking or he’s probably paralysed.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“How has he taken that news?”
Dorothy Budram
“That’s what getting to him right now, wondering if he’s going to walk again. All of his brothers, sister, friends tell him yes, they don’t discourage him. To my feeling, I think that if he doesn’t go he’ll be paralysed. I already made up my mind.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Do you think there’s a lesson here for other parents who have children like that?”
Dorothy Budram
“Plenty. For the parents and the kids and all the other boys that give the trouble that he used to give.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“What would you say to them?”
Dorothy Budram
“Tell them they see what happened to him, do the right thing, try look for a little job. The Lord said seek and you shall find. But sometimes they look into jobs hoping not to get. I always tell him that, but go and look for a job. Jobs are hard, very, very hard, but think about doing something and get some right money.”
Rolando Budram
“It really hurts to see what is happening with him now. But, there is nothing more we can do at this time, more than try to hope for the best and ask the good Lord to guide him through his time.”
A hospital source told News 5 that Budram is listed in a stable condition. His parents say they’re trying to raise twenty thousand dollars to take him to Merida for medical attention.
