Mother of homicide victim Ali Husain Jean recalls last moments, forgives killer
Dominique Narcisse loves making lasagna on her birthday and two years ago was delighted by her son's expensive gift – a Lagostina pan to cook it in.
Ali Husain Jean, or "Sainy" as she called him, assured her it was a good investment.
"Mom, you put $100 worth of cheese in your lasagna, at least you can have a pan to support it," he told her.
That evening her home was bustling with activity as friends and family gathered. When Narcisse's birthday lasagna was almost ready to be served, Jean noticed the gift his girlfriend had bought — a pyjama — had been left at their apartment so he would go back to get it.
It was the last time his mother saw him alive.
The shooting
The family waited for him to return and after an hour and a half began to wonder what was taking so long.
The phone rang.
"There was an accident," Jean's girlfriend said. "He was shot."
The family dropped everything and rushed to the hospital. Once there, Narcisse said she was paralyzed. All she felt was fear.
Was her son alive, she thought. As long as she lingered in the hall she could believe he was.
"You're afraid. You're afraid to face the truth that he may not be there anymore," she said.
She regrets letting that fear control her — it robbed her of those last precious moments she could have spent at Sainy's side.
"But I was too afraid to go in. I couldn't. I just couldn't. I just kept walking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until it was too late."
"I wanted to say that day, 'How could you do this to us, Sainy?'"
Forgiveness
That night was the longest of Narcisse's life. She was consumed by visions of her son's friends taking revenge on the killer.
The next morning she called each of them and said her son would want to set an example, that violence doesn't have to lead to more violence.
"If all of us could make that difference more people would be alive," she said.
Losing her son taught her a kind of forgiveness she'd never understood before. Finding closure is her challenge now.
For two years after Jean's death, police had no suspects and Narcisse worried his file would wither as another "cold case," like the ones she'd seen on TV.
She checked in with the detective working on the case frequently. One day he called with the news she'd been waiting for: two people were in custody in connection with her son's death and a preliminary hearing had been set.
'I don't wish them any harm'
Boubacar Bah, 24, faces multiple charges including first-degree murder and will be in court on July 25.
She said the suspect is young and "when you're young, you make mistakes."
"We do something and only after think, 'What have I done?' I forgive them," she said.
"I don't wish them any harm, and I don't wish their parents any harm. That's turning the other cheek."
Ali Husain Jean's spirit inspires new charity
In the months before he was shot, Jean had started helping his mother get fit. He was her running coach and encouraged her to do laps around the park.
Narcisse thought that a charity that brought people together, promoted well-being and helped those in need would be a good way to honour her son.
She started We Run For Ali which organizes runs regularly. The money raised goes to an organization in Haiti. So far they are helping drill for water wells and build water treatment centres.
"I think it he would proud. It's sad I had to lose a son to do all these great things."
