The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended that the 16-year-old lad accused of fatally shooting his best friend be charged with manslaughter under the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA).
Rockey Sawh, 15, a former student of Cummings Lodge Secondary School, was shot dead by his best friend during a sleepover on November 17, 2020, at Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
The now-dead boy resided at Lot 45 David Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
It was reported that the 16-year-old suspect invited Sawh over to his home and the two friends had a meal about 18:00h on the night in question. After eating, the teen suspect reportedly breached the lock on a wardrobe where a licensed .32 Taurus pistol owned by his father was secured.
Police said that after retrieving the gun, the teen then 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 reportedly left in the house as the suspect was taken away by his mother.
According to Police, at the time of the accident, the suspect’s parents were not at home. A .32 Taurus pistol along with seven live matching rounds, a spent shell, and 149 .32 rounds were retrieved from the crime scene.
Following the shooting, the 16-year-old suspect was arrested and subsequently released on $100,000 station bail pending investigations. Police had sent a file to the office of the DPP for advice in November 2020. The DPP’s office, however, instructed the Police to have a probation report compiled on the suspect before charges could be recommended.
Meanwhile, the dead boy’s grieving mother, Amrita Panday, when contacted on Thursday, said that the Police have informed her that the suspect in her son’s killing would be charged. The woman said that she was awaiting information on his court date.
Panday, however, could not give a definite answer on whether she would attend the court hearing. “I am not well. I am still thinking about my son,” she cried.
Ever since her son met his demise, Panday has been calling for justice. Now that her son’s best friend has been charged, she said, “I leave it in the hands of the DPP, the Police, and the lawyers.”
