Mom of teen killed calls for better city-community partnerships to stop the violence

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh Police are still hunting for the dark-colored sedan that sped away from the shooting that left a 14-year-boy dead in east Raleigh Thursday night.

As the search continued, ABC11 spoke to Jamahri Lucas' mother, who voiced her concern that her son was being swallowed up by the streets.

She told ABC11 she feels the system failed her son.

"I would tell him I love him. I'm sorry," Leticia Lucas said when asked what she would tell her son if she had the chance to talk to him one last time.

Earlier this week, she reported to RPD that Jamahri never came home from school. Then, Thursday night, the news came of the gunfire at the Milburnie Road Apartments in east Raleigh.

Jamahri Lucas has been shot and killed.

But Jamahri's mother said police still haven't called her.

"And a couple of days passed after Jamahri was reported missing when (mom) got word that he was deceased on a Facebook post," said community advocate Kimberly Muktarian. "We're still waiting for the police department to speak to this mother. It will be 24 hours and we're just looking for our officials to join in our community."

Raleigh Police disputed the mother's claim, and told ABC11 officers have been in contact with the family, including Jamahri's mother, "throughout the day."

Nevertheless, Muktarian and other advocates were standing by Leticia Lucas' side on Friday to say the lack of communication between police and the Lucas family represents a greater disconnect between the city and it's more marginalized communities.

Leticia said she moved Jamahri away from the east Raleigh neighborhood where he was killed to Garner to get him away from the bad influences drawing him closer.

"She tried to do it the right way. She continually approached and called the authorities to let them know what the situation is," said family advocate Sylvia Wiggins. "And she just felt like it was a hopeless situation."

Leticia said Jamahri had gone down the wrong path.

ABC11 asked Muktarian what the city could have done to help.

"What they could've done is first of all start strategizing with the community as a whole; use your resources and your community liaisons," she said. "We have to come together and we have to put a strategy together to say this is not just one person's problem, one mother's problem - this is a community problem."

As the Lucas family and their advocates call for a stronger city-wide partnership to stop this kind of violence, there's also the business of solving Jamahri's murder.

Investigators are asking anyone who knows anything about the crime or who has seen the the dark-colored sedan that the suspected killers are believed to have left the scene in to call Raleigh Police.