Botham Jean Foundation Director Allison Jean, who has experienced the pain of losing a son who was shot dead at his home in Texas by an off-duty officer claiming to mistake the young man’s apartment for hers, has expressed condolences to the mother of Saint Lucia’s latest homicide victim.
In the wee hours of Monday morning, Keston Delaire sustained multiple gunshot injuries at his home in Fond Assau, Babonneau and died at the scene.
A relative disclosed that assailants dressed in camouflage clothing banged on the door, declared they were police officers and ordered that the family open up.
Once inside, the assailants fatally shot Delaire, who was 29 years old.
Allison Jean’s son, Botham Jean, was 26 years old when, on the night of September 6, 2018, off-duty police officer Amber Guyger shot him dead while the unarmed young accountant sat in his living room eating ice cream.
Guyger, eventually jailed for ten years for murder, claimed she mistook Botham’s apartment for hers and believed he was a burglar.
The deceased’s family launched the Botham Jean Foundation to carry forward his legacy of philanthropy, supporting those who need it most.
In this regard, the foundation presented two scholarships to local students on Tuesday.
Following the presentation, Botham’s mother, Allison Jean, in an interview with reporters, expressed condolences to the mother of Babonneau homicide victim Keston Delaire.
“My heart goes out to the mother, Jean stated.
“I think this is heartbreaking for a mother to be able to see her son, no matter who that son was, what he was – I don’t know much about it. But for a mother to see her son gunned down, I think it is a terrible act. It is an act that we must denounce,” she stated.
Jean emphasised that while conflicts can occur, people must resolve them differently.
“But to kill him in the presence of his mother is the worst act that one can pursue, and that person will pay for what he has done,” she told reporters.
“Because when you lose a child, you feel it in your womb, far less to see that child being killed right before your eyes. I think this is terrible, I am denouncing it, and the whole of Saint Lucia needs to denounce it.”
When asked about strategies to reduce crime on the island, Jean highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach.
She noted that the Botham Jean Foundation plays its part by contributing to the youth, offering support, and providing essential resources.
“What we’re doing in the foundation is one attempt by reaching out to the younger ones, to those who are in need, to those who need counselling, food, supplies, [and] to those who need skills.”
Jean acknowledged that addressing crime requires collective effort and cannot be achieved by the foundation alone.
As a result, she urged the community to engage in crime prevention actively.
“We have to look in our communities and try to reach out to some of these young men and women who we see are idle. Sometimes you could see the formation of these gangs and these criminal forces and so, on an individual basis, we need to reach out and not cast a blind eye on it,” Jean stated.
“Another thing too is we are afraid to speak. People are afraid to speak. The police cannot do it on their own. The police are not magicians, and so they need evidence. They need eyewitnesses in order to come forward,” she added.
Jean asserted that dealing with crime is not an easy fix, so everyone needs to play their part.
