“My son was not a drug dealer.”
These were the words of Safiya Williams yesterday as she spoke out about the death of her nine-year-old son, Cyon Paul.
Cyon was shot and killed while walking along the Southern Main Road, La Romaine, on Friday night.
He had left his Byron Street home minutes before to buy hotdogs at a nearby food truck. His cousin, Kenika Smalls, was with him at the time but was not hurt.
At her home yesterday, Williams denied rumours her son’s death was linked to an ongoing drug war in the area. Police had said on Sunday the child’s death seemed to be a hit and said then he was shot several times.
An autopsy yesterday by forensic pathologist, Dr Valery Alexandrov, showed he was shot once, the bullet entering and exiting his left arm before re-entering the right side of his chest.
Alexandrov said the bullet pierced the boy’s lung and heart before exiting through the right side.
Given the circumstances of the shooting and the angle he was shot at, he said that differed from an execution-style shooting. Whether medical assistance came sooner, Alexandrov said his injuries were non-survival as he lost a lot of blood which flooded his chest cavity quickly.
“My son never sell no drugs. He never had anything to do with drugs. He was just a baby, he used to give me half of anything he was eating. even if it was one chewing gum, he would share it in half and give me.
“You see running and playing? That’s what Cyon was into. He would play until dark and still ask to play more,” Williams said.
She admitted to having shortcomings as a single parent but said: “I may not be the best mother but I always try to make my children happy. I never turned my back on them or leave them. My child didn’t do nothing to deserve this.”
Williams, who also has a seven-year-old daughter, Tyra, wept as she recalled her fond memories of her son. She said Cyon would have turned ten on September 25.
“He would say ‘Mommy, eight more years and I will be 18. What you think I should be?’ He used to tell me he wanted to be a policeman or a lawyer but we will never know,” she added.
She said her son’s death was senseless and made a plea for justice for him.
“I just want some kind of justice. My child didn’t deserve this. He was the sweetest child, like an angel, he never disrespect anyone,” she said.
She said Cyon’s death was also taking a toll on Tyra.
“She can’t sleep at night. She doesn’t really understand that he gone but when she asks I tell her Cyon in heaven. I don’t know how we going to handle this,” she added.
Tentative arrangements are being made for a funeral service on Thursday.