According to his family, Blake McCray, a student at Oakland Mills High School who was 15 years old, was murdered in the crossfire at The Mall in Columbia on February 22. His family provided this information to WJZ.
According to the police, McCray and Michael Robertson, who was 16 years old at the time, were at a bus loop area outside of Lidl when they were the targets of a double shooting that was carried out by Emmetson Zeah, who was 18 years old.
Robertson passed away that evening, while McCray, who had been shot in the head, passed away at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Centre later on.
The mother of McCray, Marshay Eaddy, stated in an exclusive interview with Tara Lynch of WJZ that her son did not know Zeah and that she believes he was a bystander who was not involved in the incident.
Now he was on his way home.
His mother informed WJZ that McCray was at the mall with his friends, grieving the loss of another youngster who had passed away earlier as a result of a medical problem she had experienced before. Eaddy’s son, who was 12 years old at the time, informed her that McCray had been shot before dinnertime.
In his memory, Eaddy remembers hearing, “Mom, they said, Blake got shot at the mall.” I came to my feet. I felt a little bit numb. I was able to get myself together. It was then that my kid informed me that “they said it was a head shot, mom.”
According to Eaddy, her son was leaving the shopping centre, adhering to the mall’s curfew, and walking back home.
Eaddy stated, “My son would have been home in ten minutes,” if he had been there. The authorisation to go to the mall was granted to my son by me. What we tell our children is to be good, to live good, and to do right. From that point on, you won’t have to be concerned about matters of this nature. As a result of him simply going outside and attempting to act like a child, he was taken from this world by a person he does not even know.
Katina Sharp, McCray’s grandmother, accompanied Eaddy to Shock Trauma, where she recalled the shock and misery she felt for her grandson. She was overwhelmed by the experience. She claims that from her position as a certified nurse, she was aware of the severity of the injuries.
“I ran out the house with what I had on, one shoe in my hand, nothing a million years that I thought that he would have been shot in his head,” Sharp stated in his testimony.
As far as Eaddy is concerned, her son was a responsible individual who always took care of the chores around the house and served as a positive example for his two younger brothers. It never occurred to her that something like this would take place.
Keeping in mind a teen who enjoyed having fun
According to his relatives, McCray’s personality was contagious from beginning to end. As a child, he envisioned himself working as a contractor and eventually running his own company.
The kid, who was skilled at working with his hands, is said to have constructed all of the furniture that is found in their home, according to his mother.
It was his grandma who referred to him as her beacon of light.
“You can meet him for five minutes, and everybody just loved him,” remarked Sharp in response.
His family continues to use the present tense when referring to McCray, as they are aware that he is still present with them on a regular basis.
Sharp recalls that he would play jokes on her, such as creeping up behind her and pulling at her trousers pocket while she was cooking. She adds that she remembers these jokes.
“Blake, I know that was you,” Sharp remarked. “I said that to you once.”
He is the oldest of three brothers, and according to his family, he was quite protective of them. The young man is currently 15 years old. According to his mother, he was the dominant figure in the household and made it a point to prioritise the needs of others before his own.
While McCray was being treated at Shock Trauma, his family reported that scores of friends, teachers, and other individuals who knew him came to show their support. They described the outpouring of love as overwhelming.
“I didn’t know my grandson was loved by so many people,” Sharp stated in his interview. The things that we’ve done are correct. All of those brief conversations that we had with him, he paid attention to them.
The Legacies of Blake McCray “
The members of McCray’s family and friends are dedicated to carrying on his legacy going forward.
Regina McLendon, who formerly served as the principal of McCray’s middle school, is currently collaborating with community partners to develop a program that would teach young men how to grieve and heal collaboratively. According to her, when she found out about the shooting, she kept repeating to herself, “I’m not it.”
The neighbourhood of Oakland Mills has been grappling with difficulties over the past few months. It is reported by her that four of her students passed away within a span of three months apart.
“I had just finished up. According to McLendon, “I was no longer able to accept it.”
By participating in a community outreach program, she is transforming her suffering into a source of passion.
Young men are brought together through “The Ubuntu Project” for the purpose of healing, mentoring, and empowerment. In addition to healing circles, conversation, creative expression, and physical activity such as boxing and yoga, the program will also include other activities.
We still have a great deal of work to complete. When it comes to these young men who are attempting to comprehend it, we have a lot of work to do with them. Our goal is to prevent them from becoming enraged. “We want them to know that we have men in our community who want to support them,” said McLendon, who manages Oakland Mills Middle School. “We want them to know that we have men who want to support them.” “His legacy is bigger than what he even imagined.”
The event is scheduled to take place at Celebration Church in Columbia on April 26 from ten in the morning to six in the evening.
The family of McCray makes a solemn promise to live each day for him.
“His legacy just shows like, no matter how young or how much time do you have here, you can make an impact on people’s lives,” Eaddy remarked in response.
Strategies for engaging young people in Howard County
This week, the Youth Engagement Strategy (YES!) Council was established by the Superintendent of the Howard County Executive, Calvin Ball.
The organisation, which consists of 27 members, will focus on projects that are geared towards young people, such as mentorship, dispute resolution, economic mobility, and programming. The county refers to this as a short-term effort to lower the amount of violence by young people in the county. At the end of the year 2025, the council will be extinct.
Additionally, the county announced that it would be providing additional financing for the youth outreach programs S.T.A.N.D. and P.U.S.H., both of which had been operating in the past. Millions of dollars will be given to the organisations.
In the courtroom, Zeah
A few hours after the shooting that took place at The Mall in Columbia, Emmetson Zeah, who is 18 years old, was taken into custody and charged with the crime. He faces charges linked to murder as well as other offences.
At the time of the shooting, Zeah was conducting home surveillance for a case that was unrelated to the incident. It was reported to the courts one day before the tragic shooting that took place at the shopping mall, and the court records reveal that he breached his custody on multiple occasions.
Additionally, Zeah is being charged with attempted murder for a gunshot that occurred in Columbia on February 14th, according to the police. Despite the fact that there were no reports of injuries, shot casings were discovered at the location.
In court, Zeah is scheduled to appear on May 2nd.
Maryland teen killed in crossfire at Columbia mall was trying get home, mother says.
