Immigration hopeful loses son in shooting

A 20-year-old man who longed to be reunited with his mother, who is applying for citizenship in Canada, is dead after a shooting in La Horquetta last Friday, and relatives are lamenting that she would not be able to attend his funeral for fear of her application being voided.

Relatives of Michael Creese, who were at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, explained he had been with his mother, Kaytura Creese, until he was 13 when she went to Canada to work in a factory.

Newsday was told since she left him in the care of relatives here, he continued telling family members how much he wanted to join her and start a new life.

“All this child would talk about is joining his mother in Canada,” said one relative, “She is going through the process of getting her citizenship. When she was there he was 13, and they felt that he would not be given citizenship, but automatically if she had gotten through he would have as well.”

But their dreams of reuniting were shattered when he was killed. Creese was at a house on Firecracker Avenue, La Horquetta, at about 8.30 pm on Friday when men stormed in and began shooting indiscriminately. Creese tried to take cover, but was fatally shot. Two other men were wounded.

Relatives said his mother is grieving, especially as she will not be able to come to say a final farewell at his funeral. They explained that if she were to leave Canada she might not be able to return or continue the process of acquiring citizenship there.

“I said, 'Baby, your son got shot, and they say that he didn’t make it,” recalled one relative “She began weeping one time. She has been crying ever since.”

Family described Creese as a jovial and soft-spoken person, and said he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“If you ask anyone in the village, they would tell you he is a very quiet person. It would always be a 'hi' or a 'hello' with him when he meets other people. Even if there is conflict, he would not want to be in it,” said a relative.

They recalled when he was not working at Rodney’s Supermarket he would spend time sharing funny posts on social media.

“Sometimes he would be in his room and he would burst out laughing. Then he would come and show me some ridiculous video,” a relative said.

No arrests have been made.

The murder toll stands at 298 for the year. Last year at around the same time it stood at 308.