5 days ago on August 7th, Raymark Flowers celebrated his 22nd birthday. That would be his last birthday celebration because last night the young man known as “Big Ray” was gunned down outside his home on Flamboyant Street. The gunshots rang out during the evening news, at about the same time we were reporting about the weekend murders and the police’s plan to combat crime in the streets. Our 7NEWS team was first on the scene and Keith Swift has the story of another young man that fell victim to street violence and another community asking itself – “when will it end?”
Keith Swift Reporting,
Last night on Flamboyant Street police lights were flashing, a crime scene team was searching for expended shells, and what seemed to be an entire community was on standby outside the yard where 23 year old Raymark Flowers Jr. was shot and killed. This is where Big Ray was standing – watching or probably
listening to the news from Elaine Serrano’s TV. A gunman on a bicycle rode through this alley and shot him in the back of his head. Everyone was watching the news when they heard the gunshots. Yvette Martinez heard six.
Yvette Martinez, Heard Gunshots
“I was inside sitting down watching news and same time I heard the gunshots. I remember my son was out here playing so I ran outside to see what happened. A little bit of that I saw when Raymark dropped.”
Jerome Codd, Heard Gunshots
“I was around but I was in my house. I wasn’t on the crime scene. No shots didn’t catch my house so I just came and took a look and when I came out I saw a body on the ground. I didn’t know it was my neighbour.”
Voice of Elaine Serrano,
“I was inside looking at the news and then I heard like four to five gunshots. After a few minutes I came outside and then I know that my neighbour got it. He was down there beside the house.”
Big ray was killed inside his yard and his grandmother Alvine Hemsley also heard the gunshots. Hours earlier someone told her that her grandson would be killed.
Alvine Hemsley, Grandmother of Deceased
“I got a news this afternoon that somebody was threatening that they would kill him. I don’t know who it was so he was bathing and I asked
him tell me, talk to me, and tell me what happened and he said nothing, he and no one has beef. Well I was sitting in here watching news and I heard the gunshots and when the crowd ran from back there they said he got it. Only that I know.”
Keith Swift,
Did you see the body, where was he shot?
Alvine Hemsley,
“I don’t know, I didn’t see the body. They passed with it but I sit down right here, I just froze.”
Raymark Flowers was raised here on Flamboyant Street by his grandmother. His friends and neighbors are surprised and shocked by his murder because they say Raymark wasn’t your typical bad man – he didn’t give trouble. He was a high school graduate and they can’t think of any reason why someone would want to kill him.”
Friend of Raymark,
“The man would just come and hang out with we, smoke our week, and we don’t trouble nobody. We would buy fi we lee cold cups and hang same way.”
Keith Swift,
When was the last time you saw him alive?
Friend of Raymark,
“Well the last time the man was hanging with us the evening before he died.”
Yvette Martinez,
“Raymark was a cool guy. He was a very mannerly person. He would see
you and he would holler for you. He wasn’t a disrespectful person neither.”
Jerome Codd,
“He was my neighbour, we grew up together – thirteen and a half years. He was a cool guy. He was nice, I don’t see no problem in him. I have no reason, no idea – I just know the guy and all of us are neighbors and all of us hang out together, that’s all.”
Alvine Hemsley,
“I don’t know why they would want to kill him because I am home and they are out there so I really can’t say why. I don’t know what they do out there, I am home. I don’t know who want and I don’t know who noh want. It is something which di knock at everybody’s door.”
Everybody’s door but last night’s murder hit way too close to home for these residents.
Yvette Martinez,
“It made me go inside and sit down and watched my son and wonder what it will be like for my son after this. It’s really sad. I couldn’t believe it would be so close to home. It usually di happen to different people, I didn’t believe it would happen so quickly in our area front of fi we face.”
Alvine Hemsley,
“Nothing can be done. It is something which is happening everyday, every night.”
Keith Swift,
So we will continue losing our sons and grandsons?
Alvine Hemsley,
“What will we do? Nothing deh fi do.”
In fact the only thing these residents feel they can do – is what they did last night: watch and then wash away Big Ray’s blood.
Raymark Flowers was shot in his head and was pronounced dead on arrival at the KHMH. Police have one suspect detained but he has not been charged. They are seeking one more suspect and say investigations continue. Raymark Flowers worked part time as a mechanic.
