‘I will not allow my son to be a statistic’

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Almost two months have lapsed since a mass shooting claimed four lives and injured seven other people in Shreveport.

Police say they have no suspects.

And Shamika Dorsey, whose 19-year-old son Jarike is among those killed that Fourth of July, still is seeking closure.

“We’re over a month in, you know, with the mass shooting and we’re still searching for answers. Why is it taking so long? We have advanced technology.”

The gunfire rang out during a block party in Shreveport’s MLK neighborhood.

“So I’m trying to figure out where do we go from here,” said Dorsey, who grieves the unexpected loss of her son.

“I mean, we miss Jarike. But it’s one of those things we have to be strong and try to move forward from. And, personally as a mother, it just feels like walking in a tunnel that will never end.”

Dorsey said she recently met with Shreveport police. She claims the meeting did not go well.

“I was told by one of the investigators that they were short-staffed, which I don’t feel is my concern. Another investigator told me they wish they would have done things differently,” Dorsey said.

“I just feel like they are looking at it like he’s just another African American victim, another black young man gone. And I will not allow my son to be a statistic, because you know that isn’t the case.”

Dorsey said she plans to continue to search for answers for her son.

“You know, I have good days, I have bad days. But I won’t stop fighting.”

RELATED:

Copyright 2023 KSLA. All rights reserved.