Dear Source,
I am writing in response to the articles written about Geoff Kennedy. I am very disturbed that there has been some discussion" that Geoff may have been attempting to purchase drugs and this is why he was shot.
Allow me to contribute to the information that Ms. Henry was kind enough to disclose and set the record straight.
My daughter Lesley has been a very good friend of Geoff's for 3 years. Geoff had come to St. Thomas to apply for his GED on Tuesday April 25. After he was finished in St. Thomas, the plan was for Geoff to meet Lesley in St. John where we live. April 25th was Lesley's 18th birthday, they had planned to go out to celebrate her birthday. Instead prior to our leaving for Lesley's birthday dinner at Asolare, we receive a call from Roy Schneider Hospital
with the news that Geoff was hurt. Geoff was conscious and asked the nurse to call Lesley to come and be with him. At that point we were not aware of what had happened other than it was serious and his parents were on there way from Tortola.
When Lesley arrived the first thing Geoff said to her was "Happy Birthday, Lesley". This was while he was laying in the trauma room with a bullet in his back and in a great deal of pain.
I spoke with Geoff's mother and the most current information on his condition is that he is still in critical condition with a bullet lodged between his aorta and his esophagus. At this time he is paralyzed from the waist down.
It angers me when we start to question the victim and ignore the criminal.
Geoff is a 1st rate surfer and bright, funny young man who loves life.
Instead he is now dealing with the fact that he may never walk again.
What about the creep who shot him? When are we going to get angry enough to say ENOUGH!
So for anyone who thought "oh he was probably in the wrong place and trying
to buy drugs" Let me assure you -it could have been your child. My question to this community is what are we going to do about it?
One thing I would ask anyone who reads this is to pray for Geoff and his family- they have a long and difficult road ahead. Just because he went to buy his Mom a Mother's day gift.
Mary Castle Bartolucci
