Alvoncia Jackson’s grandson Malachi was killed in April.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Alboncia Jackson is often grief-stricken. The senseless murder of her 15-year-old grandson Malachi in April is deeply traumatic.
“Malachi’s birthday is the day after Christmas. rice field.
Juvenile homicide rates are on the rise this year in Washington, DC, wreaking havoc on families trying to find answers as to why their loved ones were killed.
Jackson’s grandson, affectionately known to the family as “Kee” for short, was bullied and killed, she said.
He was on the run when he was shot not far from home.
“His mom is in pain. My family is in pain. His sister and brother are in pain. They know he’s not there,” Jackson said. “We had to tell his five-year-old brother and four-year-old sister where Kee was and that Kee was gone to heaven.”
A Metro Police Department official said 16 boys had been killed in the district by December 16 this year, according to the latest available statistics. That’s two fewer deaths for him than the previous two years combined.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in May in Malachi’s death in the Columbia Heights neighborhood where his mother had just moved.
Jackson said Malachi loved boxing, it was his sport of choice and he trained hard.
“Ki became the father of that family. He had to take responsibility immediately,” she said. “And he didn’t do it out of hatred, he didn’t do it because he was asked to. Key did it because he loved his family.
Malachi was shot right through the chest and head, she said. They could only identify him in the morgue through photographs.
“We had a family prayer before we went in,” Jackson said. “They brought out the picture and the side of his head was blown off so he was laying on one side.”
The string of deaths in Jackson’s family was devastating: in the space of a year, she lost her mother, husband, and grandson. Her brother died two years ago.
“His death was very unexpected. It was very hard. We were grieving one after another,” she said.
The hole in her heart was forever and the teenage violence was driving her crazy.
“It’s not fair. It’s wrong. I’m sick of guns. I’m sick of this violence,” Jackson said. “I’m tired of parents blaming each other. I’m tired of schools not giving these kids enough care.”
