Featured photo: Tiffany Green (left), DaMarion Smoots (middle), and DaVonte Green-Flourney (right)
Written by Jameca Patrick-Singleton
The last time that Tiffany Green spoke with her 22-year old son DaVonte Green-Flourney was on October 1, 2021 as he was leaving a CPR class for a new job and heading to drop her younger son, Demarion Smoots at a football game. When Smoots called and said that Green-Flourney never returned to pick him up she began to worry.
“I looked on Facebook and saw that there had been a shooting, and immediately following, I started getting calls,” Green said.
Green learned that while traveling in the area of Ballenger and Miller roads near 12th street someone occupying a car that had been weaving in and out of traffic started shooting. Green-Flourney’s car was hit by bullets, and he was fatally shot.
“It’s been hard,” his mother said. “I haven’t been able to go back to work. I have panic attacks. I feel fear whenever my younger son goes anyplace, including school. I used to think that because my kids weren’t involved in bad things, bad things wouldn’t happen to them.”
Green describes Green-Flourney as a good young man who loved to joke around and shop. She said that he was a very hard worker who was independent. He had moved back Flint from Atlanta just three weeks prior to being killed.
“He came back home to help me with his little brother. He had already secured a job. He was very responsible.”
Green said that she and her family are struggling over the loss of her son.
“My youngest child’s grades have been slipping, and I’ve had to see a therapist”.
Green said that her plea to parents is to stop condoning behavior that leads young people to go out and shoot guns at others.
“I feel like parents need to be parents to their kids instead of waiting until it’s too late and their child is in prison or the grave”.
Green said no one has been arrested for the murder of her son she is asking that anyone who has any information, no matter how small it may, seem to please come forward.
The Flint Courier is exploring the aftermath of violent crime in a three- part series. This is part two of that series
