Prayer Request (Note: Jabbar is with Jesus but his Mom is stuck here and hurting)

The Fresno Bee ^ | May 10, 2003 | Louis Galvan

[SnarlinCubBear]

They have my prayers, Saundra. This is so sad.

[Cordova Belle]

I cannot imagine having to cope with this tragedy.

Mary and Herman will be in my prayers!

[hoosiermama]

.

[Saundra Duffy]

Excellent advice from one who knows. I will take it to heart, Sis. Thanks.

[Saundra Duffy]

I know. I'm just waiting for the liberal Fresno Bee to call for more gun control - as if that would help!

[Saundra Duffy]

Not suicide. Jabbar was a very spiritual kid. It's okay that you brought it up. It actually crossed my mind, too, but all Mary knows is that he was shot. We don't know who did it, though. God bless.

[Saundra Duffy]

God bless you.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Oh, this is so sad. May the Lord in mercy comfort Mary and her family with a sense of His goodness, and may Jabbar rest in peace and the Lord grant unto him Eternal rest.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Oh Saundra...yes I'll pray for Mary. How tragic.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Do you have an e mail address or mail address where I might send a sympathy card?

[mafree]

Please give the family of this young man my condolences. May he rest in peace.

[lainie]

Saundra, I'm so sorry. This is just awful news. Love to his and your families.

[Bigg Red]

I will pray for this family. This is heartbreaking.

However, I am very distrubed when I see something like:
she says since they are poor and African American no one will care.

That is rampant victimology.

[Myrddin]

When an 18-year old African American male who dies of a gunshot wound, my first thought is gang activity. His church affiliation may have actually attracted the attack by clashing with local gang values. Somehow, I think the characterization of Jabber as a sweet, gently, good boy is not the complete story. He was a target for some reason.

At this point, comforting his mother and helping the family with burial costs is the most immediate and appropriate course of action. I would be inclined to see if the local police department has a gang detail and see if anyone is bragging about the killing.

[RJL]

Prayer sent for Jabbar and his family.

[Saundra Duffy]

You may send a sympathy card to Mary Thompson, c/o Bishop Richard J. Norman, 341 W. Sample Ave., Fresno, CA 93704. Thank you for your love and prayers.

[Saundra Duffy]

Thank you, Sis. I went to visit Mary this morning and bring a cake. She was sitting on the front porch looking frail and sad but a little better than yesterday. The detectives showed up and I said, "I hope you find out who did this terrible thing!" I asked Mary if she wanted me to stay and she said I should go on home. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks for our concern and prayers.

[Saundra Duffy]

There's more to the story. Jabbar has two brothers who have not been, well, shall we say, completely out of trouble. I have my suspicions that maybe Jabbar was mistaken for one of them but I don't know. One thing I do know for sure is that Jabbar was a good boy and it wasn't easy to stay clean and pure but he did. Of course, you may be right that because of his purity and goodness he was the target. That could have happened. I'll keep you guys posted. I visited Mary this morning and delivered a cake. She looked a little better. The detectives showed up and I left but before I left I told them that I hoped they'd find who did this terrible thing. Thanks for your post and for your heart-felt concern.

[Myrddin]

Since I relocated my family to Idaho in December 2000, my kids have kept in contact with many of their old friends in San Diego via the internet. My 15 year old recently learned that one of his friends had been gunned down. His friend was a good kid, but his friends siblings were into drugs and gang activity. It's quite possible that Jabber was a victim of similar circumstances.

This is a great time for the Relief Society to support Mary and her family. When we lost a member of the Elder's Quorum to cancer, the Relief Society president spent weeks helping his wife (a non-member) cope with her loss. His daughter was effusive in her praise for the president.

One can only hope that the shooter won't be back to finish a botched job if Jabber wasn't the intended victim.