Last night, we brought you the devastating news that another innocent teenager had died due to gunshot wounds. 15-year-old Kassman Gill was on Magazine Road, less than five minutes from home, when a gunman on a bicycle circled around him and opened fire - hitting him multiple times. Kassman held on for 7 weeks before he succumbed. He is now the ninth minor to be killed since July by gun violence.
But Kassman is more than a chilling statistic he was a third former at SJC just like another murder victim, Dwayne Gabourel. And on top of that, his father said he was a gentle son and a loving brother. He had goals of graduating and attending law school and maybe one day joining parliament.
And while the wider public was hoping for his recovery and donating money to ease the burden of his financial bills Kassman didn't make it, and the reality has crushed his family. Courtney Menzies spoke with his father today and has this story.
Cecil Gill - Father of Deceased
"I watch my son deteriorate, it is the most painful thing any parent could endure. Deteriorated in front of my eyes. Dread shine your light, so a child may follow, many have been lost along the way..."
15-year-old Kassman Gill spent 52 days in the hospital, fighting for his life. He was a third former with aspirations of one day becoming a lawyer, but those dreams were snatched away when he was cut down by a gunman.
But even though Kassman took a bullet to the spine, his family was optimistic that, maybe, he would one day walk again.
Cecil Gill
"We had a hopeful time, we knew the extent of his injuries, the severity of his injuries, we were cognizant of the fact that he probably wouldn't walk again but we were hopeful the we could have brought him home, that he would have recovered to the point where we could have brought him home and then we would take care of him and then we would have looked into probably getting him abroad to get him necessary help for the spinal injury so he could probably gain some mobility.And then it was about the 18th, a Saturday morning, something, I don't know what happened at the hospital, Saturday morning when I went to visit, everything changed. He looked different, and he was back unconscious, sedated, stiff, unresponsive."
And even up to now, Cecil Gill has no idea how his son went from being awake and responsive to now lying in morgue. He's been trying to inquire at the KHMH, but he can't get the answers he's looking for. But he explained that he had to watch helplessly as Kassman's organs began to fail, one by one.
Now, he wants the person who took away his only son's chance at a future brought to justice. With the police department trying to get assistance from the FBI for Dwayne Gabourel's murder, Gill is hoping the same can be done for his son.
Cecil Gill
"I am requesting that they do the same with the video footage in this case because the video footage in this case is not as clear either and I think with the expertise of the FBI, that we can probably get some clearer, and also I would like the video footage to be released to the public because somebody might be able to make out something, make out this little worm. I still struggle with the fact that this was an innocent child, promising young man with a great future, he had his life charted out, he had a vision of what he wanted to be and what he wanted to do with himself. And then you have a spineless coward who has already destroyed his life come and destroy my son's life. And I don't know why, I don't know why, I struggle with that, I would love to know why because then that would probably help me to heal, help my family to heal."
And they'll need time and support for those wounds to begin healing, especially for Kassman's two sisters who have now lost their protector.
Cecil Gill
"This has shattered their lives, Kassman is an important part of their lives, he's their protector, because they're together all the time and if there's something they all need, Kassman would say, let the girls have it. This is a great soul, he's one of the kindest person you would meet, I always say any parent would love to have him as a son, a great soul. Beautiful character, soft spoken, great guy. And every day I look at him as he grow and mature into this young man, he didn't even have a taste of life. and that is what hurts, because my boy didn't have the opportunity to experience life and its joys and trials."
Gill told us his family is grateful for every encouraging word and every dollar donated.
