JP victims’ families ask for justice
Family and friends of the two shooting victims gunned down just outside of a Jamaica Plain housing complex 10 days ago are hoping the suspect, arrested Saturday by Boston police, is brought to justice.
“I feel for (the suspect’s) mother. My prayers go out to her because nobody plans to have a killer for a child,” said 61-year-old Pauline Hunt of Mattapan, who lost her great-nephew Christopher D. Joyce outside of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments on the night of May 4.
Joyce, 23, was set to graduate from Salem State University, but was killed by gunfire with his friend Clayborn Blair, 58, a Navy veteran and Pine Street Inn custodian.
Boston police arrested Wilvin Guity, 28, of Dorchester on Saturday in connection with the shooting. He was apprehended by the Boston Police Fugitive Unit at about 1 p.m. on Howe Terrace on an outstanding warrant out of Roxbury District Court, according to Boston Police Department spokesman Stephen McNulty, and will appear in court today on two counts of murder and a count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Hunt said her family plans to be there in the courtroom during Guity’s arraignment.
“What we hope is we get the justice we need. For him, I hope you get what you deserve,” Hunt said.
Members of the Hailey Apartments community also expressed their faith in the justice system, while grappling with the gravity of it all.
A 27-year resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said her daughter is distraught and can’t make any sense of her friend Joyce’s murder.
“All I say is something has got to give . ... You really feel sorry for these kids. I pray these kids have a safe summer,” she said. “How do you explain that it happened to a kid that didn’t do anything?”
Another longtime resident, who goes by “Auntie,” said Blair was her nephew’s father and was like a big brother to her.
“He loved to smile, he loved life, he loved to make jokes. Both were the same,” she said. “But I think little Chris was too good for this world . ... I don’t understand why we as a community or any other place can’t just come together and celebrate life. We have unnecessary shootings and killings.”
Kevin McLean, 45, of East Boston, who has been visiting family at the Hailey Apartments since age 15, made small talk with the victims he said were “OK people.” He was in the area on the night of the shooting.
“We came from the liquor store and 15 minutes later we heard gunshots around the corner,” McLean said. “Nobody around here bothers each other. Everyone gets along around here.”
An acquaintance of Joyce, 23-year-old Angelika Gonzalez, said he had a good future ahead of him, reminiscing back to the time when they were classmates at James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury.
“He was a very happy boy . ... He was always smiling,” Gonzalez said. “He was one of the good ones. He’s not supposed to go that way. When you know somebody is not a troublemaker you feel bad about it.”
Although she did not know the other victim, Gonzalez said she hopes Blair gets justice.
“He fought for our country and our country is supposed to defend him, so I feel there should be justice,” Gonzalez said.
Hunt said today’s court hearing for the family is unfortunately not their first for a relative killed on the streets of Boston.
“My nephew was always going places. He had dreams, aspirations and this man cut him short,” Hunt said. “We want to see the gang violence addressed. We’re tired of hearing these kids trying to kill each other. We need to do better.”