Jamaican Mother Launches Fundraiser to Repatriate Sons Killed in Connecticut Shooting

Relatives of two Jamaican brothers killed in a late-night shooting in the United States are asking the public for assistance to return the men's remains to Jamaica for burial.

Miquel Blake, 31, and Dravere Blake, 34, died after being shot outside a bar in West Haven, Connecticut, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on June 20. Officers who arrived at the scene found both men unresponsive. They were transported to hospital and later pronounced dead. Authorities have made no arrests, and the case remains under investigation.

The brothers' mother, Marie Blake, started a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs and the expense of bringing her sons home. "The family is heartbroken, shocked, and struggling to process this unimaginable loss, and is desirous of bringing them home to Jamaica for burial," she said.

"As we grieve, we are now faced with the difficult responsibility of bringing them home to Jamaica so they can be laid to rest surrounded by their family and the place they called home in their hearts. This is something our family desperately wants to do to honor their memory and give them a proper farewell," she said.

Marie Blake said the cost of international repatriation, along with funeral and related arrangements, has placed a heavy strain on the family during an already painful period.

The campaign went live two days before publication and had collected US$3,615 toward a US$30,000 target. Proceeds are earmarked for transporting the brothers to Jamaica, burial and funeral expenses, and associated travel and administrative costs.

"They were loving parents, family members, and friends who touched the lives of so many people. Beyond the pain of losing them, our hearts ache for the children they have left behind. These children must now face life without the love, guidance, and support from a father figure, a loss that no child should ever have to endure," the family said.

Several children have been left without their fathers following the deaths.