GUNSHOT VICTIM TELLS DYING WORDS TO MOM
Man shot dead days before 21st birthday
”Mommy, me love yuh.” Those are the words that Marguerita Rainford will hold close to her chest for the rest of life as it was the departing phrase of her son, Tyrick McLish, shortly after he was shot by gunmen on Gem Road on Monday night.
”Me son dead inna me hand. A the best person that,” Rainford bellowed, with tears streaming down her face. Rainford described her son, a past student of the Tivoli Gardens High School, as loving, as he professed his undying love for her daily.
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Network reports that about 7 p.m., McLish was standing at his gate when he was pounced upon by armed men who shot him. He was transported to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Rainford reflected on their last moments before McLish met his demise; they were making plans for his birthday on July 26.
“Him say to me say, ‘Me mada, me love yuh, enuh’ and me say ‘Me love yuh too’ and him ask if me nah go buy him one shoes fi him birthday. Next week Saturday him woulda be 21 [years old]. Me son nuh disrespect people. Tyrick have manners to everybody,” the mother of three wept.
Rainford sat on her son’s bed inside his room and showed the new pair of New Balance shoes she purchased for his birthday.
“Him did plan fi go Ocho [Rios] for him birthday,” she said. Rainford shared that her son had earlier asked her to prepare a meal of mackerel and rice. Shortly after finishing the dinner, tragedy struck.
”Me hear ‘Blam! Blam! and same time me [other] son run in and say ‘Mommy, Tyrick outta road’ and me run outta road inna the gunshot dem and a bawl out ‘Tyrick weh yuh deh?’ and me see him pon him face, him a bleed. Me say ‘Tyrick, wake up’ and him just shut him eye and say ‘Mommy,
me love yuh’. Tyrick nuh deh nuh weh near badness, me grow me three children good. Him dead inna me hand,” a weeping Rainford told