By Fred DeRuvo
Antonio Santiago.
You may not remember his name, but you’ll recall the situation. Antonio was a beautiful 13-month-old boy, being pushed in a stroller by his mother in Brunswick, GA.
Antonio and his mother – Sherry West – had the terrible misfortune of coming upon two black youths, at least one of whom was armed and initially bent on robbery. One of them decided that whether he robbed or not, shooting Antonio would be a great idea. He even asked West, “Do you want me to shoot your baby?”
Sherry did what she could to defend her young son, even acting as a shield against bullets. Her actions, though brave, were not able to save her son, who was ruthlessly gunned down by two thugs, shot right between the eyes.
What is the news concerned with here? They’re wondering why Antonio’s parents both had gunshot residue on them.
The forensics’ report states, “This supports the possibility that [Louis Santiago] discharged a firearm, was in close proximity to a firearm upon discharge, or came into contact with an item whose surface bears GSR [gunshot residue].”
Wow, really? It appears as though the media is trying to find a way to shed suspicion on the father, who could have “discharged a firearm.” Think Susan Smith.
Look, there are only a few ways to have gunshot residue on your person. You handled a gun/ammo, you shot a gun, or you rubbed up against someone else who had gunshot residue on them.
According to Ms. West, Louis Santiago (Antonio’s father) blamed her for the child’s death. “West claims Santiago ‘went nuts’ in the months following their son’s murder and violated a [previous] restraining order…”
Sherry offers a logical account of how Santiago could have gotten gunshot residue on him. “West says it is plausible that she would have gunshot residue on her because she was, in fact, shot. She also says it may be possible that the baby’s father came into contact with the residue when he saw her at the hospital.”
Although neither the mother or father are considered suspects by police in the shooting death of 13-month-old Antonio, CBS News has little problem wondering aloud if the father was the one who actually pulled the trigger–and if two young blacks are being railroaded.
The alleged killer – De’Marquise Elkins, 17 – was with a 14-year-old black male on March 22, 2013 when the killing took place. From what I can see, it looks like the media has not had the chance to edit his mug shot to make him appear more angelic (as was done with Trayvon Martin’s.)
Originally, Elkin’s aunt and his mother told investigators that Elkins could not have killed Antonio since he had been home eating breakfast. Eventually, they led the police to a small pond where a .22 caliber handgun was located. Both women have been arrested for lying to authorities and tampering with evidence.
There are also the questions created by Sherry West’s own daughter, who believes that West killed Antonio for …read more
