Another teenager joins the growing list of minors who have been shot dead in the second half of 2021. 17-year-old Michael Henry took his last breath this morning after he was shot multiple times yesterday evening. Henry was inside a car with his friends when gunfire rained down on them. And after the smoke cleared, his family was too deep in their grief to speak. But his second family - the men who were in the vehicle with him - spoke of the guy they considered their little brother. Courtney Menzies has this story.
It's an afternoon that started out like a scene from a music video, but it ended with a teenaged father of one ambushed and slain inside this very vehicle.
The young men had spent the day swimming at Rockville and were going home when they were thrust into a sinister action movie type scene.
The driver of the vehicle said they were being boxed in on both sides by other cars on the road, and, as seen in his surveillance footage, a gunman comes out of the vehicle behind them behind them and opens fire. Gunshots ring out, shattering the back windshield and injuring 17 year old Michael Henry along with another man, 32-year-old Rudolph Gladden, known as DJ Junyah.
The incident unfolded at the Chetumal Street roundabout in the thick of traffic. Another passenger, Tevin Montero, told us about the moment when the gun started going off.
Voice of: Tevin Montero, Friend of Deceased
"We came from enjoying ourselves on a beautiful Sunday at the river. We were not expecting something like that to happen, especially to the people in the vehicle because they are people that are working and we don't believe in giving trouble and go and shooting after people and those things, so for something like that to happen to us, we were not expecting it so we were really caught off guard."
"We were just there together, five of us, lone males, just taking a little drink, enjoy ourselves, talking, enjoy laughing and making jokes. And from there we left the river to end up in this situation there."
"Due to my training or what I've been through, I just got down, I wasn't worrying about who was firing, but I was just trying to make sure everyone in my vehicle was safe and to get away from that situation."
"In the vehicle, I only know one person got shot and I began to panic because due to my job, I learn a little bit about the medical field, I thought he had died on the spot, but when he started breathing back I was a little more relieved than if he had died on the spot."
But while he made it through the night, Henry was pronounced dead at 6:40 this morning. It was devastating for his friends, who saw him more as a part of their family.
Voice of: Tevin Montero, Friend of Deceased
"One of the worst feelings in life, it's more than just friend, it's like I lost a little brother to me, someone that was there for me, and if people would look back t the things we did, we are not people posting up things about gangs and stuff. We sing karaoke, dancing, and stuff like that."
"He was one of the best person to be around, he was always energetic, loving, always willing to help out a friend, he played sports with us, was always competitive and stuff like that. He was not someone who would easily get angry you know. Always joking around and stuff like that."
"He had one young daughter that whenever I think about it, I get really emotional. To let a family lose their person that is providing for them, it's really hard. And Like I said, he's like my little brother, so for someone to take his life so innocently, it makes no sense."
Henry was working at a call center, and the other careers of the men in the vehicle ranged from BDF to barber - but no gang banger. And that's why they think they were targeted because of where they live.
Voice of: Tevin Montero, Friend of Deceased
"I believe that it's just gang affiliated, because of the area that we live in, we are being targeted like this and it's not right for people to judge you because of the area that you live in."
"If do because I mean if they could attack innocent people, what bout our parents and our little brothers and other people who are not in this gang world, people who just live in the area. I have fear for them if they're walking and someone just come to them and say you live back here and just kill them."
But even after that traumatizing incident, the men say they were unjustly roughed up by police who trained their guns at them - even though they had just watched two of their friends get shot. And today, the officers were back at the house.
Voice of: Tevin Montero, Friend of Deceased
"After we left from the hospital, you know you're in an emotional state, we're trying to reach home, and the police came at us as if we did the shooting. Almost 7 to 8 vehicles were out there through the cemetery and we're getting handcuffed, pepper sprayed, the police even slapped someone, and like what we're explaining to them, we are the victims. How can you be treating like this? A police came out the vehicle pointing his gun, we just went through that experience. I think they need to do better work with the police to update them on how to approach certain people in certain circumstances."
"And on top, they took us to the police station and we're handcuffed as if we're the criminals, we're locked up in cell from after 6 o'clock until almost 11, 12."
Henry - who had his girlfriend and baby daughter waiting at home for him - was known to play football and basketball regularly.
The five other minors killed since June are Jamir Mckoy, Laddie Gillet, Kwame Williams, Sherane Cardenas, and Shamar Nicholas. Another teenager who was affected by gun violence this year, Kassman Gill, is still in the hospital.
