Roots Junkanoo Group Remembers 5th Victim of Shirley Street Crash

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – As the sound of drums grows closer to filling the streets this independence, there will be one beat that the Roots Junkanoo Group knows will be missing.

The group paused on Tuesday night to honor one of their own – 19-year-old Keno “Kjay” Gordon Jr., who was the 5th victim of the June 28th Shirley Street crash.

Section leader Amard Pratt told us for those who stood shoulder to shoulder with him in the Tum Tum line, Kjay was more than a drummer.

He was a young man whose energy, dedication and smile brought life to every practice.

Amard Pratt – Tum Tum Leader, Roots

“He seem to be a humble soul, kinda hardworking, energetic, and always eager to, you know, learn.”

In just three years, Kjay had earned the respect of everyone around him.

His hard work pushed him from the back of the line to one of the group’s top drummers, a position he had only just achieved.

Amard Pratt – Tum Tum Leader, Roots

“So he was a part of our section. He was a major key part of our section, our music section. In fact, he progressed, he made his way up into the line this year, so he was practically in front of the line, one of our top drummers.”

Pratt says his final memory of Kjay is one he will hold close, seeing him at practice just a week before his passing.

Amard Pratt – Tum Tum, Roots

“You could see in his face where he was happy to just be there. So, yeah, I can say he was a kind of, you know, soul-filled person.”

Chairman Samuel Brown says the group is also standing beside the other families grieving this tragedy, including one of their members who is mourning the loss of his sister, who was another victim in the crash.

He says whether through memorials, fundraisers or Junkanoo rushes, Roots will continue to show up for those who need them most.

Samuel Brown – Chairman, Roots Junkanoo Group

“A memorial that they’re planning, but they also have a fundraiser on Saturday. We’re hoping to support that. Of course, when there is a memorial, we’ll participate in terms of a rush, graveside rush and so forth and so on. So anything we can do to assist the family, we’ll be happy to do.”