Posted by James on 3/18/2008, 5:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Local News"
He came to me and said, 'Dad, I'm going to make it, just trust me,'" said Anthony Young, who has a small music studio in his basement that his son often used. "I believed he would because he was so dedicated to it."
Barquinen Young was found dead about 4 a.m. Wednesday in a parking lot at a La Vista apartment complex. He was 20.
The shooting, which was La Vista's first homicide in 22 years, reportedly started as an altercation between Young and someone inside the Southfield Apartments, near 84th and Harrison Streets.
Krystle Craig, a mother of four who lives next to the apartment where Young was shot, said she heard that the shooting resulted from an argument over a video game system. Police said they could not confirm that.
Craig said she was awakened by police knocking on her door. She saw a trail of blood in the hallway, she said.
"I'm still in shock," Craig said. "The only word to describe it is 'horrific.'"
Tammi Larsen, a Southfield resident, said she was awake when the shooting occurred. "It almost sounded like fireworks. It was just three pops."
Barquinen C. YoungLarsen said she looked out her window after hearing the shots, but she couldn't see anything.
The complex, which was built in 1992 and 1993, is in an older section of La Vista.
La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten said that a year ago, one of the buildings in the 83-unit complex was hit by gunfire, but no one was injured.
"There's a lot of late-night activity in this area," he said.
Police had not arrested anyone in the fatal shooting.
Lausten said police were looking for a white car. Anyone with information is asked to call the La Vista Police Department at 331-1582.
An autopsy confirmed that Young died of multiple gunshot wounds, Lausten said.
Anthony Young said his son had been dating a woman who lived in La Vista, but family members did not know why he was shot.
"People may have perceived him to be a gang member, but he was not," said Young, who last saw his son June 20. "He probably hung with the wrong people, but he was a good kid."
Barquinen Young lived with his parents and did not work, although his father said he was close to getting a job.
"He was at that stage where he was still finding out what he wanted to do," Anthony Young said, but kept busy with rap and basketball.
Young said his son always knew how to make people laugh and loved to do it. In any family video, he would be doing something funny for the camera.
"We're going to miss him," Young said. "We don't exactly know what the situation was. We just hope that whoever did this is brought to justice."
Barquinen Young last attended Blackburn Alternative High School in late August 2005. He previously attended Omaha North and Central High Schools. He started in the Omaha Public Schools in eighth grade at Nathan Hale Middle School.
His criminal history includes jail time for assault and battery, shoplifting, giving false information, theft, disorderly conduct and second-degree false imprisonment.
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