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The Cruel Killing Of Kareem
posted (July 6, 2015)
In last week Friday's Amandala, Kareem Clarke wrote the headline story - tomorrow his murder will probably be the headline. That's the depressing bottom line after the promising young journalist was brutally gunned down early this morning. 27-year-old Kareem Clarke had left a female's house on his bicycle at around 1:00 this morning when he was ambushed and gunned down at the corner of Lake View and Vernon Street - a gang infested area. The killing was deliberate and cruel: He was shot twice to the head, and three times to the body. But why would anyone want to kill this well-known reporter with such dramatic finality.

Today his mother told Courtney Weatherburne that he left out at 8:00 last night:

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
This morning close relatives and friends of Kareem Clarke gathered on the street side on Freetown Road - openly mourning the loss of a son, a brother, uncle, and friend.

Lovingly cradling two pictures of Kareem was his sister. She held on to them and stood transfixed in the moments captured in those frames.

But the joy that radiates from these family photos was stripped away when Kareem's body was found this morning.

His blood splattered the cement-paved junction of Lake View and Vernon Street.

His sister was the first to get the devastating news at around 2:00 this morning.

Melonie Young, Sister
"The young lady said that my brother got shot. So I just like - the last time he got shot in in foot, so I said he is okay. I went for my shoes and I heard Ms. Deltrude tell my mom, "he is dead.""

Why would anyone want Kareem dead? His family is utterly baffled and shocked by the murder because they say - he was a hard working guy focused on his future and his family.

Julia Clarke. Mother
"As what his sister said, he never murdered anybody nor anything like that. The only thing that he would get in problem with is weed."

Melonie Young, Sister
"When I got there I saw my brother on the ground lifeless. They took away our heart. He was a rock to us, especially to my children. That's my mom's heart, they took away from us."

Julia Clarke. Mother
"He was my one and only son."

Melonie Young, Sister
"Kareem didn't do anybody anything. He was an intelligent student. He graduated with honors at EP Yorke and he was very liked at every one of his working establishment. He worked at Fultec, he worked at Ready Call and at Amandala. And he loved his job, because late at night he use to stay up writing his stories in peace and quiet. The hours that he was up at night, we use to say that my brother wouldn't make it to go to work the next day."

Julia Clarke. Mother
"He was dedicated to his job."

Dedicated: a trait both his family and work colleagues recognized. But that is just one of the many words to describe him.

Daniel Ortiz, Colleague - Channel 7
"The first few times I met him, my immediate reaction was this gentleman is very humble, he is very hard working, he is very easy going. The thing that captures Kareem is just that sense of humility. No matter how difficult the day is. You could literally be having the worse day and as soon as Kareem shows up, he has that signature smile and that is what will make whatever difficulties you are having. For just that moment, seemed like it's unimportant. That's how I met Kareem on a number of assignments. I would tease him regularly "this bwai, the man who is everywhere" that's my favorite phrase because on every single assignments I go and I fancy myself to be very diligent in my job and he is always right there with me. So, to hear that he is the subject of the story today, it's a very emotional time for me, because I didn't expect to get the news this morning that he had been gunned down so terribly."

Sharon Marin -Lewis, Colleague - Krem
"I would like to say that working with Kareem was a great joy. Often times we find young people who say they are interested in media and the work, but when they realize the amount of work it really takes to be a good journalist - it's a daunting task to take on and I believe that Kareem Clarke took on that task with great enthusiasm and he did a great job being a journalist."

Whether he was at the edge of a frame, or on the front line with other reporters drilling the Prime Minister: He was present, and now that he isn't, his readers, his colleagues and his family have a space that just can't be filled.

Police recovered eight 9mm expended shells from the scene.

His sister told us that she doesn't believe it was robbery because all his valuables were found on him, and police also found his bicycle.

Later on in the news, we'll have more media remembrances of the inimitable Mr. Clarke.

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