Mother Mourns Son Allegedly Killed in Bronx Drag Racing Incident
A grieving mother is left reeling after the tragic death of her son, a naval veteran, who was reportedly shot in a pointlessly violent incident early Saturday morning in the Bronx.
“My son was like my best friend to me,” said Suzette Thomas, 50, her voice trembling with grief. “He’s the guy I go to when I need support.”
Kaino Campbell, 27, was shot multiple times in the chest around 2 a.m. during a road rage incident in the East Chester neighborhood.
Thomas, who last spoke to Kaino at about 8 p.m. on Friday, is struggling to comprehend the sudden loss. “Why? Why? Why? Why?” she asked, tears streaming down her face.
Described as generous and caring, Campbell often helped out with bills and babysitting for family members. “When he was in the Navy, he would send me money, saying, ‘Don’t tell the others, but I know you need this,’” Thomas shared.
Kaino always appreciated the hard work his mother put in to support him and his siblings, even taking on long hours in childcare. “He told me, ‘Mom, you did this to get us out of poverty. I want you to have a better life,’” she recalled, her voice softening as sadness enveloped her words.
After his time in the Navy, Kaino planned to enroll in school in the fall to become an electrician, hoping to start his own business and care for his family.
As for the circumstances surrounding Kaino’s death, Thomas described the suspect as heartless, pointing out the severity of the attack with three shots to the chest. “The intention was clear,” she said, expressing her outrage.
Michael Arasena, a 20-year-old from Manhattan, was arrested shortly after midnight on Monday. He faces charges of murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon in Bronx Crown Court.
Thomas vows to be present in court for the hearing scheduled for Friday, as authorities also allege that another individual supplied the weapon used in the shooting.
Saturday morning, the NYPD responded to a 911 call regarding the shooting just after 2 a.m. Officers discovered Campbell inside a 2012 gray Infiniti sedan at the intersection of Givan Avenue and Palmer Avenue.
He was found unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Jacobi Hospital, where staff sadly declared him dead upon arrival.
Thomas received a frantic call from her daughter about an hour later, informing her of the tragedy. By the time she reached the hospital, Kaino was no longer alive.
“The doctors said he was shot in the heart and it shattered,” she recounted. “They couldn’t fix it.”
Feeling the weight of her loss, Thomas was desperate to hold her son at the hospital but was told it wasn’t possible due to the ongoing investigation. “It felt surreal—like, is my son really lying there?” she said, still in shock. “My heart hurts so much right now. I can’t get the image of him lying there out of my head.”
