Mother Of Man Killed On Miami-Dade Transit Bus Pleads For Witnesses
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4)- The mother of a 24-year-old man who was shot and killed on board a Miami-Dade transit bus is pleading for the public's help, urging the witnesses to come forward with more details.
Evelyn Callie is speaking out exclusively to CBS4's Peter D'Oench as Miami-Dade Police are continuing to search for the gunman from Tuesday night and say there are no new developments in this case. So far, they have not released a description of the gunman.
The incident happened on the Miami-Dade busway near U.S. one and Caribbean Boulevard or Southwest 200th Street. The shooting happened after Callie had an argument with another man, witnesses said.
"Somebody, please help me, please, please," said Callie, the mother of the victim Lamar Callie. As tears streamed down her face and as her daughter Denita Hall sat beside her inside her apartment, she told D'Oench, "I loved my son a lot. I can't hold him anymore. I can't talk to him. I can't have dinners with him. I can't laugh with him. I can't do anything anymore because of what this person has done to him."
Lamar Callie wanted to become a chef or a rapper.
"He was very tender hearted," said Callie. "Why a person would do this, I don't know. I want answers and I want justice for my son and I want closure. And I want the person or persons involved with this to know how I feel and that is why did they have to do this? It was uncalled for and I want that person to turn himself in. There were other methods that could have been used. He could have walked away."
"If he was man enough to pull the trigger, he should be man enough to turn himself in," said Callie.
Miami-Dade Police have said that Callie had a record that included arrests for trespassing in an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, disorderly conduct, aggravated battery and possession of battery. But his mother said there was no reason for anyone to take the life of her only son.
"We all make mistakes," she said. "Some people get caught and some people get away. He's gone and I don't have a son anymore. I don't have a family. It is only my daughter and myself now. And it's hard for me. I am going through kidney dialysis three days a week for more than three hours a day.
"No matter what he may have done or did two or three days ago," said Callie's sister Denita Hall, "it doesn't justify what happened to him."
Evelyn Callie said she hoped that witnesses would remember more details. One witness, Rufus McKenzie, who was on the bus when shots were fired from behind his seat, told D'Oench on Wednesday that he could not recall any details about the gunman.
Callie told D'Oench, "I know people when things like this happen, they don't want to come forward. They don't want to get involved. But think about it. If it was your son, your daughter, what would you do? How would you want people to react to this? And if somebody has information, a description, please, go to the police. Help us out please."
"I know people out there saw what happened and they know what happened," said Hall. "I just want them to come forward. It would mean the world to me because he's a person and he is not here anymore."
"What really hurts me now is that I am four months pregnant and my baby brother will never be able to see his nephew," said Hall. "I was so looking forward to that. And now that will never happen."
Evelyn Callie said funeral services for her son would be held on Saturday June 16th at her church, Kingdom Covenant Ministries, at Southwest 160th Street and Colonial Drive in Perrine.
"The church has been very helpful to me, so supportive to me in my grief," said Callie.
"I also appreciate those people who were lighting a candle at the bus stop for my son," said Callie, referring to her son's friends who were seen in our CBS4 story from Wednesday. "That was very kind of them."
If you can help Miami-Dade Police find the gunman, call them or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
