Charlotte Family Loses Two Members to Gun Violence in Three Months

By Makheru Bradley and Tahirah Farrer-Bradley

CHARLOTTE, NC - On December 22, 2020, Cinquay Farrer, 30, was shot and killed a few yards from where he and his mother lived. On March 24, 2021, Davyon Farrer, 21, was shot and killed at virtually the same time of night, less than 50 feet from where his uncle was killed. Both murders were brutal, assassination-style killings. The suspects, a 20 and 16-year-old in the case of Cinquay, and a 36-year-old in the case of Davyon, have been arrested.

A mother, Jacqueline Lewis, lost a son and grandson. Chandra Farrer lost a brother and son

Cinquay, one of Charlotte's 120 homicides in 2020 fit the profile of most of Charlotte's homicide victims. He was Afrikan American like nearly 80% of the 120 victims. Cinquay was a 30-year-old man. The vast majority of victims were men, and nearly 60% were 30 years old or younger. He died from a gunshot wound. Out of the 120 homicides, 103 people were killed by gunshots.

Mrs. Lewis believes Cinquay’s killing was retaliation for an altercation earlier in the day. All too often we see words or a minor physical scuffle led to a murder via a drive-by shooting, a disproportionate response because too many guns are readily available to undisciplined and irresponsible people.

A tragic irony: Davyon spoke at an anti-violence rally 4 days before being killed

On March 20, Davyon spoke at the “Tears for Quay” rally, only a few yards from where he would be gunned down. Anti-violence activist Lucille Puckett wrote: “4 days again [sic] I listened to Davyon Farrer at a march against violence say that he didn't want his mother or grandmother to have to go through this and he's making better choices, but someone still decided to make his family hurt and suffer even more.”

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police department needs to explain why this area of Beatties Ford Road, given the previous violent crimes in this specific location, wasn’t more heavily patrolled. In the last 3 years, there have been four shootings resulting in three deaths stemming from this shopping center parking lot. In 2019, pregnant, 19-year-old Alani Blake was shot by 16-year-old Raquan Cortez Smith. On June 30, 2020, 14-year-old Terreon Izavier Geter was killed in a shooting in the same parking lot. 17-year-old Kevin Smith was charged in Terreon’s murder. Now after Davyon Farrer’s death, CMPD has placed a mobile police tower in the area, several months late.

Lives lost to community violence matter

At every rally like the one for Cinquay, we hear the mothers and grandmothers of children killed by community violence making a valid point and raising a legitimate question: "Our children's lives matter as much as those lives taken unjustifiably by law enforcement. Where is the mass outrage for these lives?"

Certainly moral outrage is justified when public servants and vigilantes like George Zimmerman commit extrajudicial killings. All too often police officers are never even charged by state or federal officials when they gun down even a 12-year-old like Tamir Rice. A recent report noted that since 2005, only seven out of 126 non-federal officers arrested for murder or manslaughter for shooting someone while on-duty, have been convicted. A state jury in Charleston, SC watched a video of Officer Michael Slager shoot Walter Scott in the back while running away, still refused to convict him. These incidents often, rightfully, generate massive protests demanding reforms.

When lives like Kendal Crank, Cinquay and Davyon Farrer are lost to community violence, the response, led by a core of dedicated activists, grieving families and friends doesn’t generate the type of support that it should. Many reasons are given for these sincere, but low-key responses, such as: (1) the lack of media coverage (2) the suspects are arrested and sentenced – although the sentences are often comparably light, and killers are released into our communities to kill again (3) people have become desensitized to community violence (4) people are frustrated and don’t know how to effectively respond to self-destructive behavior (5) the historical devaluation of Black life in the US has created a psychology of self-hatred and self-defeat.

Whatever the reasons, the fact of the matter is we are losing far more people, particularly young people, to community violence. Afrikan people have a history of resilience and finding the moral fortitude to fight back against various forms of repression. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. said:

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles.

Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances.

Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.

Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?

Expediency asks the question, is it politic?

Vanity asks the question, is it popular?

But, conscience ask the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.”

For Kendal, Cinquay, Davyon and many others, we must become actively engaged in the struggle against self-destructive behavior and for peace in our communities, because it is the right thing to do.

“The ancestors remind us; despite the history of pain, we are a going-on people who will rise again.” – Dr. Maya Angelou

For more from the author, follow his blog Makheru Speaks.