Portsmouth community activists, leaders react to 10YO shot by stray bullet
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A local gun violence intervention group is helping a family following the tragic shooting death of an innocent fourth grader.
Keontre Thornhill, 10, was known as a loving brother to three siblings and an avid gamer. He was nurturing and kept to himself.
On Friday, Portsmouth Police officers were called to Farragut Street for a shooting following a fight among teenage girls. Keontre was struck by the bullet while in his house.
Kevina Thornhill told 10 On Your Side’s Raven Payne the heartbreaking details of losing her son during a vigil Sunday.
“My baby had nothing to do with it,” Kevina Thornhill said. “My baby wasn’t a troublemaker. He wasn’t outside. He shouldn’t have been taken away from me.”
Kevina Thornhill even tried to prevent the fights from happening — calling the police in the past.
“It just came from kids fighting and coming back with weapons with a mother,” she said. “I don’t have no more tears. I’m angry because my son was just 10 years old.
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Mayor Shannon Glover told WAVY.com “we have to love on this family.”
“We as a community have to do a better job of stepping up for our children,” Glover said.
The Portsmouth mayor joined Police Chief Stephen Jenkins in calling for change and said there must be an effort to hold ‘everyone involved’ accountable.
“This is where you live, it’s not a war zone,” said Jenkins, surrounded by people in the Craddock neighborhood. “It is a situation now that has to get better, and to be frank, the community has to do it.”
Darrell Redmond, the founder of Give Back 2 Da Block, paid for a hotel stay for the family of Keontre following the tragedy.
Redmond rushed to the scene Friday after getting the call during the Gala of Hope for the Hampton Youth Violence Prevention Week.
“That community is torn,” Redmond said. “That’s a community that has already been plagued by violence. We have a police chief that is doing everything he can, but what it takes is resources to be deployed inside of the community-to-community based organizations. You cannot arrest your way out of this situation. You cannot prosecute your way out of this situation. You have to have grassroots organizations working together in the community.”
Redmond is hopeful more resources will be available for emergency relocation for families.
“You have someone that is hurting, sitting in the house looking at a spot that their child was murdered,” Redmond said. “It is constant trauma.”
Police arrested Shawnday Ross, 31, with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Officers are looking for Cleon Banks, 26, who is a person of interest.
“I’m always his voice,” Kevina Thornhill said. “They’re going to always see my face. They’re going to forever see my face until my baby gets his justice.”
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Portsmouth Police will return to the scene for a R.E.S.E.T. walk.
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