John F. Kennedy Campus student stabbed to death

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By Kate Pastor

A mother should not have to pick out her son’s gravestone.

But Andrea Birthwright was faced with that unnatural task this week, after her son Rashawn Birthwright, a 17-year-old rising junior at Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy in Kingsbridge, was stabbed and killed after school on June 16.

Police said officers from the 47th Precinct responded to a call on Gunther Avenue that afternoon, and found Rashawn stabbed once in the upper chest. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, and pronounced dead hours later. His mother stood by while doctors tried to save his life.

The following day, 15-year-old Raven Walker, who did not attend any of the schools on the John F. Kennedy campus where BETA is located, was arrested in the Bronx and charged with second degree murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. The teen was arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court on June 18, and her next court appearance was scheduled for June 23. She is being charged as an adult.

As she scrambled to make burial and funeral arrangements, Jamaicanborn Ms. Birthwright, said her son was a “good kid,” who kept to himself and dreamed of being an engineer. He traveled across the Bronx daily to attend the specialized school that might have been able to turn the dream into a reality.

“They just know him as the quiet kid. All he did was just smile,” she said.

Ms. Birthwright said her son was never in any trouble, had never been suspended from school, and though popular, mostly communicated with friends through MySpace — opting to spend most of his free time hanging out with family, playing sports and listening to music.

“He was born here, but he loved his reggae music,” she said.

On the day her only son was killed, Ms. Birthwright said Rashawn had come home from school and gone to visit his cousins. When he left their building, “Twenty-four guys jumped him and the one girl stabbed him in his heart,” she said.

She did not believe he knew his attackers and thinks the incident was gang related.

“It gotta be a gang. But he’s not in no gang,” she said.

Raven is being represented by Neville Mitchell of Mitchell Law Office PC, who said the teen pleaded not guilty at the arraignment, where bail was set at $250,000 with a half millionbond alternative — amounts he considers excessive and said he will appeal.

“She denies any involvement with stabbing the person who passed away. She looks forward to her day in court and fully expects to be exonerated,” he said, adding that Raven has no criminal background and comes from a stable family.

Ms. Birthwright said the school offered its full support when personnel learned of Rashawn’s death. She said that within an hour of informing BETA Principal Rashid Davis of what had happened, he, the school guidance counselor and an additional counselor were at her home. The principal, who declined to comment on what happened, is scheduled to make a speech at the funeral later this week, Ms. Birthwright said.

“Our hearts go out to his family, and the school has a crisis team at the school for students and staff. This is a police matter and there is no evidence that the incident was school-related,” said Department of Education spokeswoman Marge Feinberg.

Debbi Effinger, principal of Bronx Theatre High School on the John F. Kennedy Campus, who visited BETA the morning of the incident, said she was shocked by the news.

“It’s very quiet here,” she said, adding, “Things go on in people’s neighborhoods that don’t necessarily go on inside the school.”

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