Family seeking help to bring slain brothers home to Jamaica

A grieving Jamaican family is appealing for help to bring home two brothers who were shot and killed outside a bar in Connecticut, leaving loved ones devastated and several children without their fathers.

The victims have been identified as 31-year-old Miquel Blake and 34-year-old Dravere Blake, who were reportedly gunned down outside a bar in West Haven, Connecticut, about 1:30 a.m. on June 20.

According to reports, police responded to the scene and found both men unresponsive. They were taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made, and police say investigations are ongoing.

Their mother, Marie Blake, has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses and to help bring her sons' bodies back to Jamaica for burial.

“The family is heartbroken, shocked, and struggling to process this unimaginable loss, and is desirous of bringing them home to Jamaica for burial,” she said.

“As we grieve, we are now faced with the difficult responsibility of bringing them home to Jamaica so they can be laid to rest surrounded by their family and the place they called home in their hearts. This is something our family desperately wants to do to honor their memory and give them a proper farewell,” she said.

However, she noted that the financial burden of transporting their bodies internationally, covering funeral arrangements and related expenses is overwhelming for the family during this already devastating time.

The GoFundMe page was launched two days ago and had raised US$3,615 of its US$30,000 goal up to publication time.

According to the family, the funds will go towards international transportation to bring the brothers back to Jamaica, funeral and burial costs, and associated travel and administrative expenses.

“They were loving parents, family members, and friends who touched the lives of so many people. Beyond the pain of losing them, our hearts ache for the children they have left behind. These children must now face life without the love, guidance, and support from a father figure, a loss that no child should ever have to endure,” the family said.

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