Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 7-23-21

Feature
Grieving Mom: ‘Nothing Being Done About Murders’
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Mrs. Julie Benton is grieving as she makes arrangements to bury her son, 33-year-old Rashad D. Arnold. Rashad died on July 7th, after being shot several times while seated in a car.
Mrs. Benton is not only grieving for her own loss, but she is also griev- ing the loss of the numerous other young men and women who died vio- lently.
“How is it possible that these kids are getting AR-15s and bringing them into our neighborhoods and nothing is being done about it? Parents are not supposed to bury their children.
“When is it going to stop? This is out of control. There are just too many kids dying and nothing is being done to stop it. No one is stepping up and, ‘saying there are too many young kids being killed.’ We need to come together to get the guns off of the streets.”
Rashad was a Tampa native who attended the local schools of Hillsbor- ough County. While in high school, Rashad developed an interest in
touched so many lives. He would cook, clean up, do anything that he could for anyone in need.”
A part of the LGBTQ Community, Rashad loved cooking, dressing and fishing. He also loved his family.
The son of Ms. Julie Benton and Samuel Arnold, Rashad was a longtime resident of East Tampa. He lived with his mother and stepfa- ther, Adonis Benton, 3 brothers, including his twin, and 4 sisters, in the Highland Pines area for several years.
Mrs. Benton also said that her son filed several police reports stating that he had been shot at with Tampa Police. “They would come out, give him a report number and go away.”
According to the Tampa Police Department, the shooting took place around 11 a.m., in the 3200 block of N. 49th Street. The suspect reportedly walked up to the vehicle, fired several rounds, and fled the scene on foot.
After being injured by gunfire, Rashad put the vehicle in drive and drove a short distance before crashing into a group of parked cars. The pas- senger was injured in the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital
with non-life threatening injuries. The victim died as a result of his in- juries, police said.
No one has been taken into cus- tody in reference to the murder. Any- one with information about the murder is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873- TIPS.
Integrity Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements. See funeral page.
RASHAD D. ARNOLD 6/11/1988 --- 7/7/2021
construction and obtained his certifi- cations from HBI, (Home Building Institute).
He then went to work at Dallas Construction Company Serving Through Christ.
Rashad then began cooking and selling food.
Mrs. Benton said her son would help anyone who needed help. “He
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