“Old beef” is the motive for murder of 16 year old

Raheem Velasquez

Aside from the murder of Kashif Jeffries, the other homicide took place in Roaring Creek Village around eight o’clock, also on Sunday and this time, the victim was only sixteen years old.  According to all accounts, it was another case of an “old beef” among youths that escalated into a vicious attack on two.  One ended up dead and the other with was wounded on his head.  Marion Ali visited the family of the deceased and files this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Sixteen year old Raheem Velasquez was reportedly shot three times by people he knew and grew up with in Roaring Creek Village, just outside the nation’s capital.  He had been sitting on this fence right near his home when his friend, Lorencio Ho Junior ran to him for help from a dark alley in the Another World Area where he had just been wounded on the head.  Concerned for his friend, Velasquez returned on a bicycle to the spot where the violence had occurred, about two minutes away from his house.  But he was never prepared for what was to come next. There he met his fate when someone from among the same group with whom they had an old beef, opened fire on him.  The bullets hit him at close range on the left side of the chest, the abdomen and twice in the lower back as he tried to run away.

Grace Williams, Aunt of Raheem Velasquez

“Di bally weh get chop dah ih friend, ih look like he get chop cause he noh got no bredda.  He got one lee young bredda, and he noh got nobody fi come out for ah.  He and my lee nephew dehn heng tight and ting and my lee nephew mi di sit dong pan di fence wen he gone hail ah and ih tell ah di beef weh dehn got wid di bally and ih ride come but dehn mi done di wait wid fi dehn gun soh dehn mussi seh well if dehn di come afta dehn betta dehn get dem before dehn get dem and di bway pull out di gun and four gunshot.”

Marion Ali

“What is this beef about?”

Grace Williams

Grace Williams

“I noh know.  All ah we grow up together.  I noh know.”

Timothy Velasquez, father of Raheem Velasquez

“He was hanging out with a group but I get fi understand that he get into a fight with this same individual that they are claiming shot him.  He got into a beef with that guy so I believe that the way the guy retaliate back.  The guy that shot my son I heard that he had a problem with that guy long time ago, not prior to his death, long time ago.”

While Raheem’s father appears to be handling his son’s death well, the teen’s uncle isn’t, and he warns the murderer to hand himself in or face his wrath.

Hollis Williams Jr.

Hollis Williams Junior, Uncle of Raheem Velasquez

“Dehn just chance he outta ih life, di young bway weh tek fi he life, I talk to dehn.  I even meet ah yesterday and dah soh young lee bway.  Man instigate dehn fi ih tek ih life and ting.  We can’t lef dat soh cause he dah like wah bredda to me.  Dah like dehn tek my bredda.  He close soh he can’t goh just like dat.”

As the family prepares to put sixteen year old Raheem Velasquez to rest on Thursday and face the challenge of raising his one year old daughter, they join the list of other families who rely one thing only – justice.

Grace Williams, Aunt

“We want justice because dat dah all weh dehn do, dehn just get remand and afta dat dehn goh free and just walk di streets again because one ah di bway dehn outta di lee clique he just come offa wah murda and he done deh deh back pan di streets again and he have gun eena ih hand already.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

Police have since detained Velasquez’ friend, Lorencio Ho, who was hacked with a machete on his head and another man of the same village whom they believe can help with their investigation.  But the search for the four suspects also continues.