My Child Should Not Have to Die

The second time it happened, I got a phone call from my future daughter in law. Once again, I did not believe what was being said, "they killed him, Shabazz has been shot, he's dead!" What? My 27 year old son was dead. All I could do was scream "No!" over and over. I felt horribly ill, then went to Brooklyn to the Precinct. The detective, Mike McDermott said that I should not go to the scene where my son Shabazz was laying down dead in the street. He said that the crime scene was under investigation.

Shabazz was a loving father, a good man. He did not participate in gangs and was known to be very calm, cool and quiet natured. There is a saying that "cleanliness is next to Godliness". Shabazz was literally the cleanest man I have ever known. He was particular and radiated no matter what he wore. He was attractive and had a magnetic personality. There were 537 murders in New York City in 2005. One of the 537 was my son, Shabazz.

Shabazz was killed on August 1, 2005 by Jermaine Barrett aged 33 who fired off eleven bullets on Washington Avenue between Lefferts Boulevard and Lincoln Road. Barrett emptied a .357-magnum revolver into Shabazz Muhammad from the back as Shabazz walked away. According to the news report, the first few shots wounded Shabazz at Washington Avenue near Lefferts Avenue and as he lay wounded, Jermaine Barrett pointed his gun at Timecca Lee but discovered he was out of bullets. She said that she fought for her life after her ex boyfriend Jermaine Barrett pistol whipped her.

As Shabazz lay wounded from the first round of gunfire, Barrett pulled out a 9-mm. handgun and shot Shabazz in the left eye, killing him. According to what had been said, Jermaine Barrett arrived in the middle of the night, with two loaded guns concealed in his motorcycle seat and followed Shabazz and Timecca. He, through several phone calls with Timecca while Shabazz was driving, arranged to meet to "talk" with them first in front of Junior's" Cheesecake Restaurant then changed the meeting place by phone with Timecca, Jermaine's ex-girlfriend, to meet at the gas station on Lefferts Boulevard and Lincoln Road.

The three met. Timecca said she "let them talk". After talking with Jermaine, Shabazz walked away going toward the vehicle they had arrived in. Timecca was then talking with Jermaine who Timecca said went to his motorcycle, got the first gun then followed behind Shabazz shooting him in the back, emptying the gun. Shabazz tried to crawl under the vehicle with the strength he had left while being shot. Jermaine went back to the motorcycle, grabbed a second gun and dragged Timecca over to watch him turn Shabazz body over from face down to face up and Jermaine then shot Shabazz in the eye.

It took a year and a half before the trial began and it's completion was on March 7^th, 2007. I was allowed to address the court on behalf of Shabazz speaking directly to the Judge regarding sentencing. Family and friends submitted letters and recordings for the Victim Impact Unit of the Parole Board to review. During the trial, my statement was followed by a rather rambling counter statement by Jermaine Barrett who apologized yet in the same breath spoke of having some kind of right to carry illegal weapons having worked in security and as a body guard. His original charges had included illegal possession in the First and Second degrees. He was not licensed to carry weapons in New York or any where and he was not at work guarding anyone or securing anything either.

Barrett also spoke about having been set up by Timecca and that he had no malice towards Shabazz. This statement seemed quite contradictory toward his actions of having emptied a gun into Shabazz back then getting a second gun to shoot him in the face while saying amongst other things at the time, "your man is dead" before shooting Shabazz in the face. If that was a friendly gesture, it was a very strange one.

Although the initial charges included Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second and Third Degrees, as the Judge stated, an agreement had been made. Barrett had a Plea Bargain that allowed him to plead guilty to lesser charges and as a result he was only charged with Murder in the 2^nd Degre and was sentenced to 15 Years To Life, even in light of a prior similar gun incident on a college campus in the 1990's for which time was served. This incident was the second time on record.

15 Years is the least amount of time and Life is the most amount of time that Barrett can serve. In the next 13 years, in May 2020 when he comes up for parole, submitted letters, video, pertinent documents and articles will be reviewed by the Parole Board who is assigned to determine if he should have an opportunity to be released. It is our hope that they will keep him incarcerated for the rest of his natural life.

Being alive and in jail is more than what Barrett gave Shabazz. Shabazz was sentenced to death by Barrett and was assassinated. The only reason was jealosy. Shabazz will never walk this earth again, his daughter will never see him again and we will never hear his voice or be with him again. Even in jail, Barrett will be able to speak with and get visits from his family. He has already apparently gained weight from good eating and surely money gifts and treats are given to him by his family. Life in Jail is the least that he should get after having murdered Shabazz.