Dorchester teen gunned down pursuing dream
After returning to city, youth sought music career
Tamon Evans-Choate was 4 or 5 when his mother packed up and moved from Boston to Florida to carve out a better life for her family. But last year, at the urging of his grandmother who lives in Dorchester, Evans-Choate returned, according to a relative. The young man, known for his sense of humor and his politeness, soon became entrenched in the local music scene, spending hours at a nearby recording studio.
On Monday night, as Evans-Choate, 18, and a friend walked along Tonawanda Street to the studio, a gunman approached them and fired at least five shots, yelling expletives as he did so, some residents said yesterday. One of the bullets hit Evans-Choate under his armpit. As the victim started reciting a prayer, residents rushed to him and tried to comfort him, according to witnesses. Less than an hour later, he was pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center.
"He'd be alive right now if he had stayed in Florida with his mother," the victim's great-aunt said yesterday, standing at the front door of the apartment Evans-Choate shared with his grandmother. The great-aunt requested that their names not be used. "There's a lot of anger right now in the family," she said, "a lot of finger-pointing and blaming each other."
The victim, whose twin sister lives in Florida, wanted to be a musician, and was planning to make a CD at the studio where he spent many hours practicing.
"That was his passion," the great-aunt said. "He was so determined to make it. Tamon wasn't in a gang, and he wasn't a bad boy. He kept his nose clean, but even good kids have to watch out for danger. He should have stayed at home."
Evans-Choate was on his way to another practice session Monday night, at 7:19 p.m. As he and a friend walked, a gunman wearing a white t-shirt, dark jeans, and a baseball cap approached them, residents said. A shot rang out.
The noise caught the attention of a man about to walk into a nearby three-decker, to catch the Celtics game at his sister's house. "I thought it was a car backfiring, but then I heard another loud bang," said the man, who declined to give his name out of fear of retaliation.
A silver-colored, four-door sport utility vehicle, had pulled up and was double parked in the street, near a large white box truck. After at least five shots, the witness said he saw the gunman, his arm pointed forward, with a silver and black handgun in his hand. He said the gunman was cursing as he pulled the trigger.
The suspect then ran to the SUV and jumped in the front passenger's seat. As the vehicle sped away, the witness walked into the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the license plate, but the SUV was gone. Another man, standing in his porch, yelled out, "Someone got shot!"
Boston police spokesman James Kenneally said some witnesses told police they saw two people flee the scene and run in the direction of Waldeck Street. No arrests have been made.
Evans-Choate was lying on the sidewalk, his arms above his head. He had a smile on his face, but it quickly faded as he said "The Lord is my shepherd," and continued reciting the prayer, witnesses said. The teenager then asked, "Where am I shot."
The homicide was the city's 17th this year, compared to 20 through the same period last year. The victim's mother was on her way to Boston, the great-aunt said.