Click here to print
Minor Killed In The City
Wed, January 18, 2017

Another city youth has lost his life to gun violence. 15-year-old Jaheem Mahler was executed last night. Mahler left his Faber’s Road home around 7:00 to go to the store but about 1 hour and a half later, he was found in a drain on Iguana Street Extension, taking his last breaths. He was shot about 8 times all over his body. There are several reports as to how he ended up on that street and what exactly happened, but neither the family nor police can answer those questions definitively at this point. Courtney Weatherburne found out more about this murder of a minor:

Jaheem Mahler shaped and decorated this bamboo stick at the Gateway Youth Centre’s Arts and Craft class. He was one of the first to enrol in September 2016 and apart from Arts, he excelled in all other subjects.

Jermaine Crawford - Coordinator, Gateway Youth Centre
"He took part in many of the sessions that we offer, the enrichment activities, he was part of the computer class, basketball, he did sports, yesterday his last session was martial arts, we do mixed martial arts here also for the students."

But today, just as his creative pieces were set out for display, A black bow was pressed against the front door of his school.

Mahler was gunned down and killed last night on Iguana Street Extension.

His grandmother told us that he was at their Faber’s Road home fixing these bicycles when he left to go to the store after 7:00.

Yolanda Montejo - Grandmother
"He said dad give me 25 cents please and his dad asked him what do you want the 25 cents for and he told his dad that he wants to buy an ideal, so he gave him a dollar, so when he gave him the dollar he said I am going to the shop to buy my ideal and that was it when he went to the shop. So I asked my son, how is Jaheem taking so long, and he said mom he went right to the shop and so when I was coming out, the other little boy who was with him said Ms. Ter they just shot Jaheem."

Reports are that Mahler got into a fight with a few other boys in front of a store on Raccoon Street

But it didn’t end there, a gunman followed Mahler and 2 of his friends down Iguana Street Extension as he was heading home

He shot Mahler several times. A resident told us off camera what he saw.

Voice of Resident
"So when I looked through the hole I saw the individual out here, before I arrived downstairs, there was a hail, barrage of more gunfire, like about 14 shots, when I came outside through my gate I saw the young man right down there so."

8 of those shots hit Mahler to his chest, back, hand and feet. He died at 8:45.

Now the family is trying to figure out what exactly happened and why their loved one was ruthlessly taken from them. They say they didn’t know of any problems Mahler had with anyone.

Yolanda Montejo - Grandmother
"Well up to my knowledge he doesn’t have a lot of friends, the only friends he has is the man sitting over there and another fellow, just 2 other persons and him, he doesn’t go anywhere, he geos across the street to a neighbour or to another neighbour."

And police are also looking closely at all angles to try and establish a motive.

ASP Alejandro Cowo - Officer Commanding CIB.
"Well so far we have checked on his, on his, ehm, past and present, ehm, how you can call it- profile. And there’s nothing much in our record to indicate or that we have documented that he is any affiliate of any gang member at this time, noh? We are still making checks to establish a motive in regards to the, to this shooting, as up to us has not ascertained yet what is the - if he was the intended target or if he was the other persons that were along with him.  Remember he was along with two other male persons at the time of the shooting."

But according to one of Mahler’s close friends, regardless of the circumstances, the gunman could have given him a chance.

Voice of Wallace Baldwin - Friend
"The way I see it they chanced him out of his life, I don’t know the situation but in any situation the kid is a minor and it is an older person who did the shooting, it’s not somebody of his age. I don’t see why of course they would have to use gun to try show respect to a kid. I think he should have just slapped him or punched him as a young man and just you know."

But instead of a lesson learned, things escalated – and now this grandmother mourns the loss of the boy she raised as her son:

Yolanda Montejo - Grandmother
"To be honest with you, I have my grandson from he is a baby, from baby to 12 years old."

Close this window