Family of murdered 12-year-old boy speaks out

By Meghan SchillerPublished: November 24, 2014, 6:57 pm Updated: November 24, 2014, 7:32 pm

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WJCL) — Police say Keith Passmore, 12, was shot during a house party on Vicksburg Drive. About thirty people were at the party but officers say no one has come forward with information on what led to this shooting death.

WJCL’s Meghan Schiller knocked on the front door of the home at the center of Savannah’s most recent murder. No one was home. Neighbors say this is not the first time police lights have flashed on their street, but it’s the first time something this tragic happened.

“I heard like five gunshots and the car sped off,” said Jacquita Edwards. “I came and I looked out the window and I saw a bunch of kids crawling around. It’s a little devastating. It’s heartbreaking because it was a 12-year-old and I have three kids of my own and they play out here.”

Now the family of 12-year-old Keith Passmore is begging for answers, hoping someone will come forward with new details.
“We need closure. The family needs closure,” said Debra Bartels, aunt of victim. “If somebody doesn’t break this silence and say anything there’s going to be another child, then another child, then another child.”

Passmore is the third child shot in the span of a week – and the second fatality. Police don’t yet have a suspect.

“Well one thing that’s bothering us is we haven’t had any answers. We don’t know how many times he was shot, what time he was shot.

We know nothing. Nothing,’ said Bartels.

Police tell WJCL they questioned the kids at the party, but said not everyone cooperated. The family tells WJCL that Keith did try to act older than his age and they’ve been trying to get him to stop hanging out with the kids he was with the night of his murder. His aunt said she and Keith’s mom were waiting up for him Saturday night.

“She had just locked the door,” said Bartels. “She said I’m gonna teach him a lesson. She usually leaves the door open for him. And she says I’m gonna teach him a lesson and not five minutes later the knock at the door was the policeman and we thought it was Keith.”

http://wjcl.com/2014/11/24/family-of...oy-speaks-out/