“My son had big plans” – mother of dead 15-year-old

– mother whisked away shooter from scene, left dying teen on floor

On Wednesday evening, 15-year-old Rockey Sawh was accidentally shot to the head by his best friend resulting in him suffering severe brain damage. He never regained consciousness and died a few hours after the shooting incident.
Amrita Panday, Sawh’s mother, in an interview with Guyana Times on Thursday related that her son had big plans for the future.

He was planning to pursue his studies further and take care of her when he got older. Now, the distraught mother is still trying to come to grips with her loss. Sawh, of Lot 45 David Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was a student of Cummings Lodge Secondary.
“This wasn’t his way. He had plans. My son had big plans. He said when he finished school, he going and study his education further and make me happy,” she cried.
Initial investigations have revealed that Sawh and his 16-year-old best friend had a meal about 18:00h on Wednesday.
Police said that after eating, the teen suspect breached the lock of a secured wardrobe where a licensed .32 Taurus pistol owned by his father was secured.
Police said that after retrieving the gun, the teen showed it to Sawh and accidentally pulled the trigger. As a result, Sawh was shot to the right side of his head and fell to the ground. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted in serious condition. He died about 17:00h on Wednesday. According to Police, at the time of the incident, the suspect’s parents were not at home.

The grieving mother said on Wednesday, she received a phone call informing her that her son had been shot and she should head to the Georgetown Public Hospital. When she arrived there, she saw her son lying motionless.
“I found him and then the doctor told us that he was shot in the right side of his head. It took so long to take him there, so the brain shut down and then whole body. There was nothing they could’ve done, but his heart was pumping, so I had to wait until his heart give up,” Panday related with tears trickling down her cheeks.
She said her now dead son and his friend were close and would often spend time together, and Sawh sought permission to sleep over Wednesday night.
She contended that after her son was shot, the suspect’s mother collected him and whisked him away to another location, leaving her dying son on the floor. She stated her disappointment in the manner the shooting incident was dealt with.
After sometime, she said, the Police were informed of the incident and as they turned up at the house, the now dead teen was found lying in a pool of blood.
“They share everything – food, clothes, everything. This is what he did to my son. I just want justice for my son. I want peace…His mother picked him up and leave my son to bleed. He was at the house for a couple of hours.”
“My son has a mother that loved him so much and that’s what happened. To date, the family did not call to even give their sympathy. My son was a very loving child. He’s not the type to do bad stuff,” Panday lamented.
Grieving family members are not sure how they will live on knowing that “their baby” is no more. He was the last of several siblings and he was indeed the life-wire of the family. As they prepare for funeral, the family is hoping that justice will be served.
The Police have confiscated the .32 Taurus pistol along with seven live matching rounds, a spent shell and 149 rounds that were at the scene. (Rupa Seenaraine)