Brittany Somerset, Intrepid Reporter
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The teenage son of the legendary singer Spragga Benz, 17-year old Carlton Grant Jr., was murdered in Kingston on August 23rd. He was shot, by police. There are conflicting opinions as to whether or not he was armed at the time of the shooting. All reports claim that he was shot once, while his hands were in the air, after he had surrendered to police. Allegedly he was shot a second time, execution style, after he was already down on the ground.
Police claim the teen was carrying a pistol, and they had to give chase. Upset residents refute that claim. Whether or not he was carrying a weapon, or initially ran away from the police, once he surrendered, (stopped running, wasn’t firing) he should not have been killed in their custody.
Spragga Benz, whose real name is Carlton Grant Sr., partnered with soca star Kevin Lyttle with the dancehall remix of Lyttle’s track, ‘Turn Me On’. Turn Me On reached #1 on the Billboard Single Chart on August 12th, 2004.
Spragga Benz was in New York at the time of his son was murdered, while his son’s mother was with him in the hospital. He was driven to the hospital by police, and pronounced dead on arrival.
My most sincere condolences to Spragga Benz and his family.
