Miami Gardens Mom Speaks Out After Losing Second Son To Gun Violence
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A Miami Gardens mother is speaking out after her second child was killed as a result of gun violence.
"My baby got killed right out there, so close to home yet so far. I can't bare it," said Tammy Sweeting, recalling the horror. "As I walked around, my son was lay in between two cars bleeding. His brother kept telling him get up and his hand was over his forehead and he shook his head like, 'no.' And after then, there was no more movement and I knew he was gone."
Several years ago, Sweeting lost her oldest son when he was struck in the head by a stray bullet.
On Tuesday, Sweeting's 17-year-old son, Roderick, was walking home from school with his 15-year-old brother when witnesses say he was hit by a barrage of gunfire near N.W. 176th Street and 25th Avenue in Miami Gardens.
"You know how you take a whole pack of fire crackers and you light it and it's like, 'pop, pop, pop' and it was over," says witness Wendell Richardson.
Roderick's mother said she last saw her son in the morning before he left for school at American Senior High. They have a daily ritual.
"I anoint them. I anoint their head and I anoint their shoes and ask God to take them and bless them in their going and in their coming. And they always give me a kiss and I tell them love them and behave in school. And that's the last time I seen him alive, leaving for school," Sweeting remembers.
Friends and classmates were shocked.
"He didn't have problems with almost anybody," said Regis Palomino. "It's sad, it's a tragedy. Just can't believe it, nobody can believe it. There's a lot of people who were close to him."
His family is now hoping someone comes forward with answers -- like why her son was murdered and who's responsible.
"Just asking God for strength right now. And I want those who did it to be brought to justice. I don't want no harm to come to them. I want them to be brought to justice," Sweeting said.
Sweeting organized a vigil for her son Wednesday night in the spot where her son died. She thanked the community for their support and asked for anyone with information on her son's murder to come forward.
"We begging you to please come forward because we would like justice for Roderick Sweeting's life," she said. "He didn't deserve this."
She said the violence must end.
"Stop the violence," she said. "Put the guns down. We're losing our young men to stupidity."
Miami Gardens Police have not released a motive in his murder.
Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes sees a larger issue – the problem of violent threats and fights being discussed by teens on social media.
"The digital violence has increased tremendously in the past year," Llanes said in a statement posted on YouTube. "Social media is the new bookbag. We need to see what our children are doing, what they're saying, who they're communicating with and who they're associating with."