A mother is in mourning miles away from her youngest son. 21-year-old Belizean, Jermain Terry was shot dead in Los Angeles around 3:00 on Sunday morning. But while he lived in the US with his father, brother, and other relatives, his mother is still in Belize, waiting for her papers to be processed.
But she lost her son before she could be reunited with him. And being so far away, she's still trying to piece together what exactly happened. Courtney Menzies visited her today and has this story.
21-year-old Jermain Terry moved to Los Angeles about two years ago to further his education. But on Sunday morning, he was murdered in the Vermont Square neighborhood.
According to his mother, he and his father were on their way home when they got into an accident.
Voice of: Cynthia Terry, Mother of Deceased
"They were driving, coming from a party but they were driving in an area but my husband hit somebody, somebody ran in front of his vehicle and he couldn't avoid it so and he came out to see if the person got hurt, render aid. But by the time he got out of the vehicle, they swerve into them, my husband, my son, and his cousin and they started to beat them up."
"My husband got beaten up and he needs to do a surgery because they broke his jawbone, it's broken so he cannot eat so he will need to get a surgery done."
"It's really rough, devastating for me, I felt my whole world was falling apart, they're all I have so I was really shocked. I was lost for words, it was really hard. I don't wish nothing I'm going through on any one out here."
And she was glad when he migrated to the US because she hoped that meant that he wouldn't fall into the trap of the street life.
Cynthia Terry, Mother of Deceased
"He was trying his best, I didn't want him to be here, get caught up in anything so he got an opportunity to go and study but he decided to work to save some money but it didn't last, they took him away."
And while she will miss her son, she says she wants to see him one last time before she buries him.
Cynthia Terry, Mother of Deceased
"He's a lively, joyful person. He likes to dance, he will make you smile when you are mad or have a lot on your mind, he will make you smile because he will dance for you, shake his booty or something but he's always lively, he's always the life of the party anywhere. And he's so friendly."
"I want to bring him home, that's all I want. They took away my baby and I just want to bring him home. I need to bring my baby home."
Terry says police in the US are still investigating.
