A young man is in the hospital recovering after he was shot in the midsection last night. And while it was a close call, the family is puzzled because the man who allegedly pulled the trigger is a family friend. So what could have prompted the armed assault? I found out that the crime was physical, but the provocation may have been mental.
Isabel Alvarez, Mother of shooting victim
"I want it to stop because I have a lot of children and I do not want that to happen to again to any of them. I want mek that stop..."
Isabel Alvarez had just told a visitor that her son eighteen year old Enrique Alvarez was not home when she was startled by the sound of gunshots. Shortly after, she received word that it was Enrique who had been shot. The shooting took place only a short distance from the Alvarez residence on Curl Thompson Street.
Isabel Alvarez,
"My heart come like you know that mother feeling so I said my God and I run so. And when I run so, I see my son the stand up at the same spot where they shot him. He was there standing and he was coming like he wanted to find his home. So when I reached there I hold my son, I told a boy to let him please lend me his bike and I tried to drag my son inside here. So at the same time a person told me you cannot take your son inside Miss, you have to
try and take your son to the hospital and that is how I rushed him over there. He told me to wait mom, right now and by the time he told me wait, my son threw himself down on the ground and that is the same time somebody come from a green fence, people and they told me to bring my son, put him in the car and we rushed him to the hospital."
Alvarez was shot twice in the abdomen and once in the hand. He remains in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a stable condition. But why would anyone want this young man killed? The person who allegedly pulled the trigger one Wayne nicknamed " Rock" is a friend of the Alvarez family. Alvarez does not know what her son could have possibly done to cause a friend to shoot him. But a mental health condition diagnosed seven months ago may be a factor. That's when her son suddenly started displaying behavioral problems and sometimes would get violent at home.
Isabel Alvarez,
"My son just the recover from that, he just the recover from that mental problem thing. I use to call police for help me with my son because he was giving me trouble, you know he want, you know like really crazy."
In fact, Alvarez says her son recently spent several months at the Rockview Mental Health Institution but since she took him home in June he has not been back.
Isabel Alvarez,
"So my son was over there at that place for over four months and when Hurricane Felix came, I sent for my son and from then I haven't send my son back and he stays right here with me. I see my son the recover back from his sickness."
Jacqueline Godwin,
So you do not know why anybody would want to kill him?
Isabel Alvarez,
"I don't know. I cannot tell you because the person who is looking to hurt my son, he is a, I cannot say that he is a bad boy. To me, I know the boy and he is a quiet person and he is a good person to me because at the same time my son was sick, the guy is right here the help me with my son so I do not know what is the problem. The only person my son always wants to hurt when he is in that situation is me who is his mother. That is why I always ask why is it my fault and I am the one who has patience and to walk and move with my son. Anytime my son get violent it is me he wants to knock; he doesn't want to knock anybody else. So I do not know what is the problem."
Jacqueline Godwin,
Enrique, why would Wayne want to kill you?
Enrique Alvarez,
"Miss I have a friend but he doesn't like my friend for nothing.
From my friend he wants to kill. I don't know why because we are friends for a long time Miss. Something gone on and he just come and shot me."
Jacqueline Godwin,
So last night when you gone and hang out at the corner of Curl Thompson and Man O War Streets, what happened? He just rode up on a bike?
Enrique Alvarez,
"Miss he just ride up on a bike and he ask if I am ready for it and he start give it to me like three shots. I get one in my hand, two in my stomach and it is paining me right now."
Jacqueline Godwin,
You do not believe that condition may have contributed to what happen? At no time you got violent with Wayne, at no time you threatened him?
Enrique Alvarez,
"No, No at no time. Last time I end up at the Rockview and I don't even know how I end up there. When I caught my senses Miss, like three days after I realized that I was at Rockview where crazy people are. That is the truth. I don't know how that happened to me but it just end up like that Miss; I just ended up at Rockview. My mom just took me there, she said because of weed and thing. I don't think it is that because I don't smoke like a lot of weed. I only smoke like two a day Miss."
Jacqueline Godwin,
Because your mom told me that at times she even has to call the police to help her because you get violent with her.
Enrique Alvarez,
"That is what she was telling me Miss, that I was crazy. That is what she told me."
Jacqueline Godwin,
So you do not think that maybe on one of those occasions you may have done something to Wayne that caused him to want to shoot you?
Enrique Alvarez,
"No, I stay back of my areas. I don't go far. I don't stray away at all."
But something did happen. Only two weeks ago Wayne visited Alvarez's home and left a message suggesting that she talk to her son before things take a turn for the worse.
Isabel Alvarez,
"I see Wayne come, climb the steps, peep through this window and he turned back right again; he did not say anything. But I remember that one day my daughter came and she tell me that Wayne send tell me that I should talk to my son, that he does not want to do him nothing because he knows him. So like I told you, I do not know what is the problem.
I know to myself that his mother is dead already and sometimes that when somebody's parents die they do not care about nothing again. So first thing they would say is that they don't care what happens because their mom is already dead. So I want to ask Wayne what is his problem? What did my son do that he has to go and do that to hurt my little boy because then he knows me. I don't have any enemies so he could have come and talk to me and as a mother I would listen to him."
This mother however says as much as it pains her to know that someone shot her son she does not want to see anything bad happen to his shooter.
Isabel Alvarez,
I don't wish bad for anybody and I want just like how my son will recover off of the situation he is in just like that I want him to recover so that he does not do anything bad to people."
Jacqueline Godwin,
So you would want to see justice served?
Isabel Alvarez,
"Well when my son recovers then we will know what we will do because he is over eighteen. Anything which he decides, I am with him."
Jacqueline Godwin,
Your mom said as much as it pains her to see you suffering she would not want to see anything bad happen to Wayne. What is it you would want to see happen to Wayne?
Enrique Alvarez,
"Miss I would just want him to go and spend life or something miss because there is no reason for him to shoot me. That is true miss, me and him are friend."
Enrique Alvarez is expected to recover from his gunshot injuries.
Police have two men detained - but none if them is the Wayne that the family spoke about. Instead - and perhaps by accident - police detained his twin brother. They are currently looking for Wayne Rock to detain him.
