White Man murders an 8-year-old black boy and claims to be the victim
This image provided by Florence County Detention shows Charles Montgomery Allen. An 8-year-old boy visiting South Carolina from New Hampshire was shot and killed by a man randomly firing a gun at passing cars from woods near his house, authorities said. Allen, 40, was arrested in the woods and charged with murder, attempted murder and four counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye said. (Florence County Detention via AP)
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On May 28, 2022, a black boy was shot for no reason. The next day he was pronounced dead.

Eight-year-old Quarius Dunham was headed on vacation with his family when his parents’ worst nightmare became reality. 

The Dunham family was driving in South Carolina when Charles Montgomery, a 40-year-old white man, began shooting at cars as they passed by his home, Old River Road. After being shot in the neck by Montgomery, Quarius was rushed to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition.

The following day, he was removed from life support and passed away. Matthew Dunham, his father, was shot in the leg but is expected to make a full recovery. Tecali Dunham, his mother, was also in the car but sustained no injuries.

Shooter is well known to be community threat.

Montgomery’s motives behind the shooting remain unknown, but Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye told WBTW News that Montgomery was most likely under the influence of narcotics. According to Associated Press Report, Montgomery has a history with police, as they knew he was a dangerous man.

This illustrates how white people are favored by law enforcement, let Montgomery be a black man, and immediate action would have been enforced. Yet, nothing is done for Montgomery, a white man, until he is shooting cars that pass his home. The cars were simply passing, posing no threat, but Montgomery felt inclined to inflict unprovoked violence.

Montgomery left behind a broken Dunham family. A parent’s biggest fear is losing their child, and when they watched their son die, both parents wished it had been them instead.

GofundMe for the Dunham Family as they bury their black boy.

A  campaign organization was started for the Dunham family by Sarah Natt, a parent at Quarius’ school, Little Harbour School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Natt said that Quarius “always greeted people with a hug, and lit up every room he was in.” He was a very talented basketball player, hoping his skills would take him to the NBA. His family and friends believed that he would make it to the NBA, however that dream went unfulfilled solely because of Montgomery. 

The Dunham family is grieving the loss of their beloved son, Quarius. He was supposed to be a big brother, as Tecali is expecting a baby in September. Not only is Tecali mourning the loss of her son, but she’s also dealing with her husband in the hospital while preparing to welcome a newborn baby into the world. To make matters worse, Tecali is living in a hotel in South Carolina with many unpaid bills and expenses that she cannot afford due to unemployment.

Montgomery’s Bond Hearing claims to be the victim

Montgomery was arrested and charged with one count of murder, nine counts of attempted murder, releasing a firearm into a busy vehicle, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Montgomery told the judge that he is the victim at his bond hearing, “Can I say that I have been a victim here well over two years? Every device I have has been hacked. Every device, my cell phones. My TV. I can’t even get a signal at my home to watch TV. Like there is some kind of jammer in the area. I have been a total victim for well over two years. And I said over and over I did not want anyone to get hurt. This is not the first. The first time I went and stole some stuff from the store. Just to see if there was still law and order.”

Montgomery can’t defend the indefensible.

Montgomery claims that he did not know what he was doing because of his mental health, yet his previous history with law enforcement states otherwise. After Montgomery’s statement, the judge explained to him that this was only the bond hearing and they would only address matters relating to the bond, but he continued with his rant. He was denied bond and sent to Florence County Detention Center, where he is set to make another court appearance in July and September. 

Stop Gun Violence

Enough is Enough. Must more lives be lost for the government to provide us with gun regulation? Are endless mass shootings and innocent children dying not enough? 

The police were aware of Montgomery’s dangerous nature, yet no action was taken against him. Montgomery claims that he has a mental health condition, so why does he have a gun?

America needs gun regulation to prevent more killings, every day innocent lives are lost because of firearms, and the government sits back and watches it all happen. Step up and enforce change!

Hello, my name is Sydney Anderson and I am from the Bronx, New York. I am a senior at Delaware State University, majoring in mass communications with a concentration in convergence journalism. At DSU,...

One reply on “White Man murders an 8-year-old Black boy and claims to be the victim”

  1. This also illustrates how poorly our country handles mental health cases, on both ends of the spectrum. Whether that’s to protect someone from themselves, protecting them from the police or protecting others from them.

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