By Indarjit Seuraj Sunday, November 22 2009

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Ayanna and Cordell Hilliare, aunt and uncle of 13-year-old Malik Hilliare (INSET) grieve his loss....

Relatives of 13-year-old Malik Hilliare say he was stabbed and killed when he tried to protect his long-time friend who was being beaten by two schoolboys.

At Locust Hill, Malick in Barataria, yesterday, relatives were distraught and refused to accept his death, maintaining that the teen was not a troublemaker.

His grandfather Lawrence Smith said things had changed a lot from the old days, but he could not understand why school children were carrying weapons to school.

“It’s a sad thing that the youths have to be going to school with knives and guns and to get so agitated that they would use it,” Smith said.

Hilliare, a form one student of the Barataria South Secondary School, was stabbed once in his chest when he chased a 15-year-old student of the Malick Secondary School, Friday.

Eyewitnesses reportedly told Hilliare’s relatives that another student from a Barataria school gave the knife to the Malick student.

The incident took place close to the Himalaya Sports Club, just two minutes away from his grandmother’s home where he lived.

Hilliare’s parents reportedly work and live in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

They were inconsolable after hearing about their son’s death Friday night, relatives said.

At Locust Hill yesterday, Hilliare’s aunt Ayanna described him as an “ambitious child” who could do no wrong.

“Malik was such a good child. He was never rude at all,” Hilliare (Ayanna) said.

As she broke down in tears, she was comforted by her 18-year-old brother Cordell “Cody” Hilliare who was also with Malik when he was stabbed.

“The boy pelt a stab at me and I brakes and fall down,” Cordell said.

He said Malik chased the boy who was dressed in school uniform and the boy stabbed him almost at the middle of his chest.

“I try to pull it (the knife) out and like it cast in his chest,” he added.

Cordell said he was in shock and held his nephew as he slumped to the ground.

“I was crying. I couldn’t chase the boy because I had to stay with Malik,” he said.

Malik was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Cordell and Malik had gone to buy food at Bos Burgers on the Eastern Main Road when the incident occurred shortly before 5 pm Friday.

The 15-year-old suspect reportedly ran up to Locust Hill, and right into the hands of Malik’s relatives who held him.

He was being questioned by investigators up to late yesterday.

Police are also expected to interview several school children who were on the scene Friday.