Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 8-28-15 Edition

Features
Shooting Leaves One Dead, Second Paralyzed
Detectives with the Hills- borough County Sheriff’s Of- fice are still investigating a shooting that occurred early Saturday morning and left one man dead and the other para- lyzed.
At 2:23 a. m., deputies re- sponded to a call of a shooting at 1515 139th Avenue. When they arrived, there was a large gathering of people in the area, as well as Eldrid “El” Jashad Martin, 28, and James “Scoop” Lee Rodgers, 24. Martin was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities said Rodgers is hospitalized. Sources also reported that Rodgers is par- alyzed from the neck down as a result of his injuries.
Spokesperson Cristal Bermudez Nunez said de- tectives aren’t clear on what happened, but the preliminary investigation has indicated the two men shot each other.
“We don’t have a motive for the shooting, and although there were a lot of people at the scene at the time, no one has come forward with any in- formation.”
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward to anyone who can give the Sheriff’s Office infor- mation on what happened. Anyone with information is asked to call (813) 247-8200, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 873-8477. Martin’s mother, Ms. Sheila Williams said, she’s praying for the family of Rodgers.
“I’m still not clear on what exactly happened, but I know this is no way to settle a prob- lem.
“I have congestive heart failure, and I just had a pace- maker put in my chest in Sep-
ELDRID MARTIN .....pronounced dead at the
scene of the shooting.
tember. Now, it’s getting a true test.”
Ms. Williams said, “get- ting news that your first-born son (second born child out of 5) has been killed is a mother’s worse nightmare.
“The happiest day of my life was when I signed my son’s birth certificate. The saddest day was when I signed his death certificate.
“I’ve had visits from other parents who’ve lost a child due to violence. Felicia Demer- son, who lost her daughter, and my niece, KeKe Patty, who lost her husband and son due to violence. These days, I find myself praying for the children of others and for fam- ilies who’ve lost their children. This really needs to stop and it makes no sense.”
Ms. Williams said El- drid has a brother living in that area, and she lived in the area in the past.
“My son and I talked, but we were on different sched- ules. He really loved playing pool with his dad. He had a host of friends, and he really spent most of his time with his siblings and his dad. They all
worked together in his detail and carpet business.
“He was strict on keeping the family together and in- sisted they do things to- gether.”
Ms. Williams said she spoke to Eldrid Thursday night when he complained about having a toothache. He came over and got the medi- cine and she told him to take one now.
“He said alright, gave me a hug, I told him I was tired, and he left. I was driving when I got the call of what happened. I was a complete wreck after that.”
Ms. Williams said what’s keeping her going is her vision of her son the last time she saw him.
“We’re still trying to raise funds for his service. Woody’s Funeral Home has agreed to help us and have already scheduled a wake for this Fri- day at Heaven Destiny AOG Church on East Ellicott Street.”
Eldrid Martin left be- hind two sons, ages 4 and 8- months.
JAMES LEE RODGERS .....paralyzed from the neck down as a result
of the shooting.
Two Longtime, Popular Tampa Educators Die
MRS. MAMIE LEE FLOYD
Two popular Tampa edu- cators died recently. Both were known for their contributions to the community.
Mrs. Mamie Lee Floyd
died on Wednesday, August 19th. Mrs. Floyd was known as a dedicated teacher who touched the lives of thousands of pre-school children who at- tended Helping Hand Day Nursery and Kindergarten. She dedicated 43 years of her life to educating children.
Mrs. Floyd was awarded a Child Development Associ- ate (CDA) by the Council of Early Childhood in recogni- tion of her dedication. She was also the recipient of her Early Childhood Certification from Hillsborough Community col- lege and the University of South Florida.
Mrs. Floyd’s concern for others extended into her spir- itual life and was demon- strated in her activity and faith at New Hope Missionary Bap- tist Church, where she was a lifelong member. She was a devoted member who partici- pated in several ministries, in- cluding the Adult Choir.
Funeral services for Mrs. Floyd will take place on Sat- urday. Ray Williams Funeral
Home is in charge of handling arrangements.
Mrs. Arlene Butler Chears passed on Tuesday while a patient at St. Joseph’s Hospital after a lengthy ill- ness.
During her tenure as an educator, Mrs. Chears served as an instructor at Just Middle School, Webb Middle School, and Greco Middle School. She retired from Buchanan Middle School as its Assistant Principal in 2009.
In addition to being an ed- ucator, Mrs. Chears served as a swimming instructor and lifeguard with summer pro- grams.
A Tampa native, Mrs. Chears graduated from Mid- dleton High School and at- tended Texas Southern University. She graduated from the University of Texas - -- Pan American, and received her Master’s Degree from the University of South Florida.
Mrs. Chears was the widow of retired U. S. Air Force Sgt. Walter L. Chears. Funeral services were incomplete as of press time. Wilson’s Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements.
MRS. ARLENE BUTLER CHEARS
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015