The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

RELATIVES of Okino Kareem Burrows watched in horror as he bled to death on the front porch of his mother’s home in Hepburn Town, Eight Mile Rock, after fleeing a violent confrontation at a nearby bus stop.

Burrows, 38, was stabbed in the throat during a physical altercation with another man around 11pm on Saturday. He ran to his mother’s house seeking help, but collapsed at the front door.

His two sons, ages 15 and 12, opened the door and found their father bleeding on the porch. His mother, Ena, and other relatives looked on helplessly as he lay on the ground with a severe wound to his throat.

According to relatives, his sister rushed to help him and tried to stop the bleeding.

“It was hurtful to watch him bleed out there on her front porch,” Kim Musgrove, a close family member, told The Tribune.

Family members gathered outside the home on Monday afternoon, trying to come to terms with what happened. Among them were Burrows’ mother, an aunt and other grieving relatives.

Ms Musgrove said the trauma has left the family distraught, especially his mother, his sons and his sister, who responded after hearing his desperate call for help.

“When his throat got sliced, he held his neck and ran home and knocked on the door, and the sad thing about it was his sons opened the door and saw their daddy on the porch bleeding,” she said. “His sister tried to hold her hand on his throat to stop the bleeding. It was devastating to watch that and see all the blood. For the boys especially, they’re taking it hard, it ain’t easy to watch your daddy bleed out.”

His aunt, Anthia Bartlett, said the loss has left a void in their close-knit family.

“Kareem, as we call him, he was our loved one, and we love him dearly,” she said. “Despite whatever challenges he may have had or whatever would have gone on, he was a loving family member. He has kids who he loved and he supported. And so to lose a family member so tragically, it is really heartbreaking. I don’t feel like I have any words that can fill that void at this time.”

The circumstances leading to the stabbing remain unclear, and a 46-year-old man is in custody, assisting police with their investigation.

Burrows had faced hardship earlier this year after losing his home in a fire in January. He told The Tribune at the time that he believed arson was to blame.

Ms Bartlett said the family is relying on authorities as the investigation continues.

“We don’t know what happened,” she said. “We feel confident that the police force, they’re going to do their jobs,” she said. “We are confident that justice will prevail. However, no matter the outcome, it will not ease the pain of the loss. No matter what happens, it won’t bring him back.”

Monica Mackey, the mother of his two children, said the ordeal has been especially painful for their sons.

“I’m very destroyed at this time, especially for both of my kids, because experiencing this whole situation and just being there and watching them go through the whole process is very hard,” she said. “So I’m just trying to be strong for them at this time and show up as the best that I can for them.”

She described Burrows as fun and loving.

“He was always full of energy, and full of life,” she said. “He was also big on family and was always excited to be around people who loved him. Despite all of his challenges, he always tried to make sure everybody was happy and they were having a good time.”