‘A part of me is dead’ - J’can mother mourns daughter who was killed in NY brawl

Approximately six week weeks ago, Lavern Gordon, a Jamaican living in New York, was busy with preparations for her daughter Kayla Green's 16th birthday celebration.

At the party, Kayla danced the night away and took tons of photos with her family and friends. So stunning were the images that the doting mother posted them on her social media pages. However, weeks later, she posted another photo of Kayla, but there were only crying emojis. On April 8, Kayla, who was junior varsity cheerleading captain of Mount Vernon High School in Westchester County, was knifed to death by a 15-year-old girl during a brawl after a game. Speaking with THE STAR yesterday, Gordon, a mother of two, said a part of her died with Kayla.

"Sometimes I feel like I want to kill myself. I feel like I want to be buried with her. A part of me is dead and I wish it was me instead of her. It is so hard without Kayla. My baby was stabbed in her heart and below her stomach. That girl took her away from me," Gordon said between tears.

Gordon said she was on her way to the hair salon when one of Kayla's friends called to inform her that she was involved in a fight. She said she thought it was a prank and instantly ended the call. However, when the friend called again, this time via video, Gordon's heart skipped several beats as she watched the confused crowd in the background.

"I thought her friend was joking and hang up the phone. But when her friend called me on Facetime I saw the crowd and I made a U-turn and headed to the location, and when I got to the hospital she was already dead," she said. On the day of the incident, Kayla participated in the parade for Mount Vernon's boys' basketball team's victory in the state championship game. There are allegations that the attack was premeditated. Gordon said members of the cheerleading squad had reached out to the team's coach as the suspect was planning an attack. Although the coach got to the teenagers, a brawl developed.

Kayla's best friend was also stabbed. According to an article posted on the Daily Mail website, Kayla's friend received a puncture wound and had several lacerations. But she was rushed to a nearby hospital in time to treat her wounds, police said. The suspect allegedly showed off the murder weapon on social media before the attack. She has not been named because of her age. The suspect was arrested after fleeing the scene after federal agents aiding in the investigation found her by tracking her smartphone. She was subsequently charged with first-degree manslaughter, first-degree attempted assault and second-degree assault, all felonies. The motive for the attack, cops said, remains unknown

Kayla will be laid to rest this Saturday and Gordon said that she is dreading the day that she will be seeing her firstborn for the last time. Still not coming to terms with her death, Gordon spoke about her daughter in the present tense.

"Kayla is a happy person who was very concerned about others. She likes to dance and she is very loving and caring and is a people person. She is a honour roll student and captain of the cheerleading squad. She wants to become a doctor and board in for college and so on," Gordon said.

She said that although her daughter was not born in Jamaica, Kayla would visit the island regularly when she was younger and was very attached to her Caribbean roots.