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Toddler's senseless killing brings outrage as family questions crime in Baton Rouge

2 years 10 months 2 weeks ago Thursday, June 03 2021 Jun 3, 2021 June 03, 2021 4:41 AM June 03, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Sadness summoned anger and in the days following the shocking murder of a one-year-old earlier this week, the victim's family has turned from grief to outrage.

They're worried the child, Ja'tyri "JT" Brown, will become another crime statistic and bothered with influencers who they believe are not working hard enough to combat violence taking over the streets.

"I'm calling out the pastors," George Provost, the toddler's grandfather said. "I'm calling out the police chiefs. I'm calling out the constables, politicians.... everybody. Our kids are dying over here. Nothing is happening."

The Provost family spoke again with WBRZ Wednesday as their emotions began to boil over, annoyed their child was killed in senseless violence Monday night.

The baby, known as "JT" by her family, was killed along with two others during a chaotic shooting at an apartment complex on College Drive.  Click HERE for the latest on the case

Since, George Provost has spent time mourning and reflecting.  He's come to a conclusion: Leaders - public and of the cloth - are not doing enough to try to curb a crime problem in Baton Rouge.  But, he went further, focusing some anger on the Black community for not doing enough to stamp out Black-on-Black crime.

"There's no resources for our young guys now," Provost said. "There's nothing else to do. If you don't have resources or exposure but to anything but violence and foolery, that's all you'll know."

Brown was shot as she played at the complex swimming pool on Memorial Day. Provost said his son clutched her in his arms as she passed away.

"[She] Died in my son's arms," Provost said. "My wife, we're grieving. My son is distraught. My whole family is torn apart."

A day earlier, Provost's wife, Hope, spoke with WBRZ, too: "[JT] didn't die in an accident, she didn't die because she was sick, somebody took her from me, they murdered my grandbaby."

Wednesday, George Provost pondered why there aren't more programs  to target teens in hopes of stopping the crime in certain parts of the community. He wants to see the same public outrage seen in shootings across the nation.

"I believe acts are non-verbal," George Provost said. "Don't talk it if you aren't going to walk it. All this talking ain't nothing but political. It's for election purposes. All this dancing and jumping around in churches it's to get them to feel like giving. It's time to act."

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