13-year-old boy shot in mouth at Rose Place

The aunt of a 13-year-old student, shot in the mouth over the weekend, is using the unfortunate incident as an opportunity to warn youngsters to stay away from weapons and gangs.{{more}}

Hospital employee Patricia Telemaque, the guardian of Darren Telemaque of Rose Place, Kingstown, said that the boy was shot at close range by another youth, believed to be 17 years old, on Saturday, March 24, around 2:00 pm.

She said that according to her understanding, the youngsters were at the home of an adult in the company of other youths, and were being shown the weapon, claimed to be unloaded, and were allowed to handle it.

“He was just around the area where the boys them had the gun. The young fella took the gun from the ageable fella… and apparently the youth man say that the adult give him the gun and tell him it ain’t loaded. So he went and try fiddle with the gun and the trigger just go off and because he (Darren was standing in the area, the bullet catch him in he mouth.”

The bullet entered Darren’s face just below his lower lip and lodged in the left side of his lower jaw.

He lost a number of teeth and bone fragments in the process.

When SEARCHLIGHT visited the Male Surgical Ward of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital with Patricia and another relative, Darren was being taken to have x-rays, to see what could be done to help the Form Two student of the Campden Park Secondary School, who was unable to speak.

Darren, who is said to be an avid footballer, is said to be in a stable condition.

The elder Telemaque said that she was upset that the children who were at the house, some as young as seven years old, had to be witnesses of the incident, which could have been fatal.

She placed the blame on the adult.

She pointed out that the youngsters made a habit of being around the older male, who would lure them with tales of bravado and gang related stories.

“The elderly fella he should have better sense than that to give the youth the gun,” she stated, although stating that she believes the shooting was accidental.

“I want the police to really step up to check in them kinda areas here, with these unlicensed firearms. I would like something to be done, because too much of young youths getting shoot down accidentally, and sometimes for nothing….”

Attached to the Food and Nutrition unit of the hospital, Telemaque revealed that about two years ago, one of her sons was the victim of a gunshot.

Darren’s parents are currently residing overseas, and he has been living with his aunt for the past seven years.