Three minors and intended target wounded in shooting

In recent news, primary school children have taken the lead against crime in rallies and protests in the streets. But last night, three primary school students were injured in a shooting incident as they headed home on Antelope Street Extension. They were not the intended victims and were fortunate that the bullets caused only minor injuries. The target was the notorious street figure, Michael Young, aka Ham, who is well known to police and the court system. Ham’s long rap sheet involves more than thirty offences, ranging from petty to serious crimes, for which he has been in and out of jail. The twenty-six year old was deported from the U.S. in 2007. But somebody wants him dead and on Thursday night, they almost got him when a hail of gunfire was unleashed on him. Ham is currently hospitalized and underwent surgery this afternoon at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

At about seven o’ clock on Thursday night two persons were shot and two more were grazed in a shooting incident in Antelope Street Extension.  Three of the victims were primary school minors of the Muslim School. Earlier in the day, the three students left the Muslim Community Primary School and went to play football at a high school field on Antelope Street. The students, who also live on Antelope Street, were walking home, when a van pulled up to the corner near them. But at that street corner they crossed paths with Michael Young aka Ham. Young, a regular of the magistrate court, was marked for death and his assailants unleashed a maelstrom of bullets, at least ten onto Young and the children.  One youth was grazed on his hand; he didn’t realize it until he went to school today.  The second youth was shot in his ankle, the bullet went through and he is still hospitalized. The fence wall bears the pock marks of a shell and blood from the young victim.  The third youth was probably the luckiest because the most deadly shot missed his skull and only grazed his head. A tiny stitch in his head is the only reminder of the incident.

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“We was coming from Gwen Liz after six so. Then I see a car pass and it start fire shot.”

Jose Sanchez

“How many of you were playing on the street?”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“Four of us. We jumped by the red car and hide.”

Jose Sanchez

“What about you did you get hurt?”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“Yeah I got a graze in my head and one of my friend got in his foot.”

Jose Sanchez

“And a third got grazed in his hand.”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“Yes sir.”

Jose Sanchez

“Were you frightened? What happened next? Who took you to the hospital?”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“My mother.”

Andrea Williams

Voice of: Andrea Williams, mother of Shooting Victim

“When I heard the gun shot I halla my son den deh? So wah lee friend say gial you deh home and your son under blood? So when I gone, I bring ah home. I ker a to hospital. When I ke ahn dah hospital, I have to wait. And I seh I can’t wait. This da wah emergency weh really happen with a gunshot. So we did tek an x-ray last night and they found a little metal in ih head. And the doctor seh he very lucky that how eh no gone in his skull. They find it under his skin. Because the doctor say if it gone in his skull it could have killed him last night.”

Jose Sanchez

“I know people are going to ask how come your son is out late. How did that happen?”

Voice of: Andrea Williams

“Nothing really late because that dah like quarter to seven that happen. They mi di come from Gwen Liz. They mi gone play with some lee bway round ya.”

Jose Sanchez

“Do you think you’d be going out there at night anytime soon?”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“No.”

Jose Sanchez

“Because at your age, you shouldn’t be on the street?”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“Yes sir.”

Jose Sanchez

“So your gonna stay home after this?”

Voice of: 12 year old Shooting Victim

“Yes sir.”

One minor and the intended target are still hospitalized at the KHMH. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

It is not confirmed if Thursday night’s shooting is gang related.