Phoenix Mother Blames Gang for Her Son Being Gunned Down
A Phoenix mother is upset and claimed that her son was “gunned down” for his refusal to join a local gang. Dershawn Stuard was sadly murdered and his cousin was also shot during a baseketball game on last Thursday. The shooting happened at a park near the 106th Avenue and Camelback Road. The police authorities with the Phoenix Police Department identified the shooter suspect as seventeen year old, Jodon Martinez. The police have stated that Jodon Martinez is indeed a documented gang member. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Dershawn’s mother wants everyone to remember her son as a loving, compassionate, funny young father. She recalls a time five years ago, a Phoenix gang had tried to recruit her youngest sons while they were at a park. The young boys were still in elementary school at the time that the gang tried to recruit them. After refusing to join the gang, the boys then became a target for the alleged shooter, Martinez and his family.
Dershawn’s Mother’s Statement:
They chased my kids home with a gun, actually opened fire once.
Apparently the family had tried to escape the gang and the threats by moving around the city four time within the five years. She even moved the kids to a different school in hopes to escape the gang violence. To this day, she still lives in fear. Even though she has filed several police reports, she’s still terrified since her son’s murderer is still on the run. She hopes that she isn’t identified.
Mother’s Statement About Her Fear of the Gang:
We tried to do it right, we tried and tried and tried. And no help, no help. Now that’s the result, I have to bury my son and my grandson has to grow up without a father.
She claims that she will not feel any peace until her son’s shooter is caught and then prosecuted for what he did.
Continued Statement:
He may not be able to walk around freely, but he’s awake, he’s alive, he’s still breathing. I don’t have that anymore, he stole that from my son for no reason.
Police describe Martinez as “Hispanic male who is about 5 ft 7 in. tall and weighs 140 pounds”. If anyone has any information on this suspect, please call (602)262-6141 or the Silent Witness program at (480) WITNESS.
Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/phoenix-man-shot-for-refusing-to-join-gang-according-to-victims-mother
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