Grieving Mother Speaks Out After 17-Year-Old Son Is Gunned Down: 'That Was My Heartbeat'
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — A grieving mother is speaking out after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed Wednesday morning in northwest Miami-Dade, just three blocks away from Miami Northwestern Senior High School where he was in the 11th grade.
Miami-Dade police have been looking for leads and surveillance tape and say the shooter may have taken off from NW 71 Street and 14 Place on a motorcycle.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench spoke with Aurianna Darden, who spoke about her son, 17-year-old Cairi McNear. She has also posted video of him of Facebook.
"He was a child," she said. "He was funny and he was fun. He stood his ground. He was my protector. He loved babies and he loved to cuddle. He was just in the process of turning his life around getting over an adolescent period. You know the way he died. He didn't deserve that. It was ruthless and it was evil. He didn't deserve that. I just wish he had a little more time."
She said, "That was my son. That was my heartbeat. There is a big hole in my heart, a big hole in my heart for my son. You are a mother. You are a father, a sister, a brother. It takes a village to raise people. If you know something, say something. Talk to him. Tell him to turn himself in. There is a black hole in my heart that will never be fulfilled. I don't why this happened. I don't have any answers."
She continued "If this is solved, I can't say it will be full closure but least I will have some peace. He was loved by his siblings."
She also had a message.
"Put the guns down," she said. "That's not what you do. Live to see another day. Talk it out. The gun violence is ridiculous. There are too many guns in this neighborhood. There are too many kids around with guns. The abnormal has become the normal. Our children are desensitized."
She added, "I wouldn't wish for a hole to be ripped in a mother's heart, a brother's heart for nobody. This hurts. I am in disbelief."
Miami-Dade police say they do not have a motive or a description to release of the shooter.
Anyone with information should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $5,000.
