This kid our hero
Birthday bash for boy who survived shooting
WHAT A DIFFERENCE a year makes.
E. 169th St. in the Bronx was almost the last place Jaheem Hunter laid his eyes on, because of a depraved gunman, whose bullet lodged in the 5-year-old’s head.
Politicians, police officers anti-violence activists and a cadre of pint-sized superheroes gathered in the same spot Saturday to celebrate what seemed like an impossibility a year ago — Jaheem’s sixth birthday.
The Claremont Neighborhood Center pulsed with life and music at the “Beating Gun Violence, Jaheem Is Turning 6” party.
A man dressed in Spider-Man costume surprised the boy of the hour.
“I’m 6 today,” a shy Jaheem said. “I’m with favorite hero is Spider-Man. I’m happy.”
Jaheem, wearing a SpiderMan theme shirt and shorts, walked around the playground holding hands with his icon.
Spider-Man even gave him his own mask.
“I’m a superhero too,” the boy exclaimed.
Jaheem’s sister and legal guardian, Aja Holmes, said she organized the party to bring attention to inner city gun violence. She wore a Captain America costume.
“He’s extremely happy about turning 6. He almost didn’t make it here. So it’s a blessing,” Holmes said. “How many children do you know get shot in the head and survive? That’s only God. Us being here is taking a stance. This needs to stop.”
The children, all dressed as an assortment of superheroes, danced to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” savored hot dogs and ran around pretending to fight bad guys.
Jaheem’s father, Charles Hunter, 63, said seeing his son on E. 169th St. takes him right back to when he almost lost his boy at the hands of a trigger-happy creep. “It happened right down the street,” Hunter said.
Dad and son were walking side by side when a stray bullet struck the boy’s head. Hunter and Holmes acted quickly to save his life.
“I put him in the back seat. Part of his brain and skull fell on my hand,” Hunter said somberly. “He rolled his eyes back and I thought he had died. I said, Don’t leave Daddy baby. Don’t leave Daddy.”
Jaheem spent the next several weeks in a coma at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital and underwent several surgeries. Doctors recently put a titanium plate in his head.
Michael Quiles, 27, is charged with attempted murder, assault and weapons possession for wounding Jaheem.
Even as the family celebrates a year of recovery, Jaheem is still trying to comprehend what happened.
“He asks questions like, was it a real gun that shot me? I tried to explain to him that sometimes bad people get a hold of guns,” Holmes said. “Only good people like cops are supposed to have guns.”