On March 29, after enduring months of hospitalization, surgeries and suffering, seven-year-old Jeremiah Gustave passed away. He had been shot in his head by a stray bullet on July 9th last year as he sat outside of his home waiting for his mother to make French fries for him.
The lasting image the country has and will have of him is the then six-year-old standing on a stairway with the broadest smile possible showcasing no front teeth and two fingers upraised on each hand in a show of joy and positivity. His entire life was ahead of him until it was cruelly cut down.
Jeremiah’s passing – and those of others like him – is a rebuke to the authorities and those who may want to paper over the convulsions in society that make every-day life in this country hazardous, His death cuts across various planes of governance accountability and makes a mockery of the tales being spun about a new shining Guyana.
On the fateful day, Jeremiah was standing next to his mother on the eastern side of Charles Street when the suspect approached on a black motorcycle with a gun in his hand. He discharged four rounds in the direction of a man known as ‘Crab’, who was standing not far from the child and his mother. `Crab’ managed to escape, but Jeremiah was shot and fell to the ground.
The proliferation of small arms among criminals, the noveau riche, the burgeoning security services and others has increased the danger to public safety as evidenced by what happened to Jeremiah and frequent similar incidents. The police routinely report on the seizure of weapons and employ that as evidence of success in interdicting the wanton and illicit use of firearms. However, the scale of the scourge eclipses the work of the lawmen. It is also not clear that the public will ever know where the gun that fired the bullet at Jeremiah originated from. It is important to know if these firearms are coming overland from Brazil or through the ports and in barrels as has occurred quite often.
The criminal justice system has also let down Jeremiah and his family. It is left to be seen whether the charge will be upped to murder and whether a conviction will be achieved. In the meantime, the boy’s mother, Keisha has been left to ponder how and why a charge against one of the suspects in the matter was dropped. On October 30th , last year Marlon Christopher Wilburg, was released after having been charged with attempted murder. Neither the court nor the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions provided any explanation. This was insult to injury and even up to last week Keisha expressed her dissatisfaction about not knowing why one of the original suspects was let go. This unaccountability and lack of empathy for families like Keisha’s should not be permitted.
Perhaps the most astounding neglect of Jeremiah came from the social services aspect of the government.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Keisha stated that Jeremiah underwent nine surgeries and was fed daily through a tube, since he could only consume food in liquid form. Keisha told this newspaper in an interview that before her son was discharged from the hospital, the family had to purchase a suction machine and oxygen. After acquiring the equipment, he was released but could not walk, talk, or see. Jeremiah had lost his sight and was using diapers. He also attended regular therapy sessions.
One would have thought that with the state having such enormous resources at its disposal that Jeremiah and others like him would have attracted support for specialist treatment here or overseas. Keisha said that throughout his hospitalisation, officials failed to reach out despite the severity of the situation. His life simply ebbed away in months of suffering. Where was the advocacy for more advanced treatment for him? As what stage does the Ministry of Human Services or the Childcare and Protection Agency or any of the other social services agencies become involved?
Keisha also referenced the Ministry of Education and said if the Minister of Education had visited the family it would have been appreciated since Jeremiah was an innocent child sitting at the food stall when he was shot by a stray bullet.
Understandably, Keisha is in no mood for commiserations from those in charge. “I don’t want nobody come and tell me sorry, no sorry me ain’t want hear because sorry can’t bring back my son,” She added. “I lose my son because of their stupidity, no man, it unfair. I want justice for my son. Let them charge the one that was released, it is murder. I don’t want to hear nothing about no manslaughter, it is murder, charge he.”
In her interview with Stabroek News, Keisha poignantly recounted how Jeremiah enthusiastically partook of Phagwah celebrations each year. This year, all she could do was to hold him on a chair so he could listen to the voices and laughter of the children during their celebration. His own voice was silenced and he died shortly after.
He and his family must have justice and those who were in a position to alleviate his medical condition must do better.
