The stubbornness of a La Horquetta teen, coupled with negative influence by elders, are the two major reasons Kayode Edwards was killed on Wednesday night during a botched robbery.
According to police, around 10.20 pm Wednesday three men stormed a private residence with a room used for gambling and equipped with a roulette table and attempted to rob those gathered.
As the men entered the home, located at Phase Five, La Horquetta, an off duty police officer, attached to the Maraval Police Station, opened fire on the bandits.
Edwards, 19, of Phase Seven La Horquetta, was shot in the head and died at the scene. The other two robbers ran, leaving their wounded accomplice behind.
Speaking with the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, Edwards’ father, Samuel, said his son was a jovial, unassuming young man who was led astray by older men involved in criminal activity.
He said: “I used to talk to him everyday, even up to yesterday (Wednesday) morning me and him spoke. The reality haven’t reached home yet. I had a very long discussion with him in the morning.
“That was a continuous thing. Sometimes I think one of the walls that the youths put up is that they think they could take care of themselves and they ‘not in that (criminality).’
“It have older men in the area who are involved in criminal behaviour and the youths gravitate towards that. I think the problem is and it is a bit scary because it not going away. It will keep happening over and over.”
Edwards said one of the problems being faced was that there were pockets of negative elements that always come up and they have a strong attraction to the unassuming youths and the little delinquent youths like his son.
He said the killing of his son came as a surprise to the family as they never knew he was involved in criminal activity but knew he associated with those who were. He said he did all he could to keep his son, the last of six children, out of trouble.
“I really don’t know... I think I used everything in my capacity and as a person who deals with people. This is a very difficult one in terms of keeping him to maintain that direction.
“As my father taught me bad association spoils useful habits and birds of a feather flock together. These youths always seem to understand and know.
“Something definitely happen... he was there. My issue is you were there and he did not use to be there. The issue is who did the shooting? Edwards asked.
Edwards’ sentiments were echoed by his wife, Denise Kingcape, the teen’s stepmother. She said she would remember her stepson the way he was and not the way she saw him the night he was killed.
She added: “People have many sides but I will remember the side he showed me, very respectable, a child I could call on at any time... as his daddy said choices and company.
“I will like to tell the others who were left behind, try to put God in your lives and to the older ones stop influencing the younger ones because as they say children learn what they see. Kayode was a child, at 19, he was a child.”