Jhamar Martin says he was shot in the face and his brother-in-law was killed last week because they knew too much.
Martin, 20, said he and his brother-in-law, Mostaffa Zairee, overheard Kelly Phillips say he was going to kill someone.
Phillips, 26, an acquaintance of the two men, told them July 4 that he was “going to take care of” his sister’s boyfriend if the man didn’t leave his mother’s house, Martin said.
On July 5, that threat was nearly carried out when, Martin says, Phillips apparently shot and nearly killed his sister’s boyfriend at a house in the 4300 block of Cook Street.
Three days later, Phillips burst into the Cook Street home of Martin’s mother-in-law, accusing both Martin and Zairee of snitching on him.
Phillips allegedly shot 18-year-old Zairee in the head, killing him, police and Martin said. Martin was shot above his upper lip and was pistol-whipped.
Denver police have not revealed a motive for either of the shootings.
Police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez said investigators were reviewing the facts to determine whether there was a relation between the two shootings.
But Martin said he knows why he was targeted.
“It wasn’t some drug thing or some gang thing,” he said. “I feel I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not just something that happens every day.”
Martin said he was playing with his 6-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in the back room of the house when he turned and saw Phillips in the doorway with a gun. He said he did not know that Zairee had already been shot in the head after answering the door.
“It’s like he just went crazy,” Martin said. “I thought he shot my son. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want them to see me die, and I didn’t want my kids to die.”
Martin said Phillips shot him in the face, and when he tried to ask why, Phillips gave him a glazed look and just told him to shut up and give him some money.
Martin said he covered his children with his body as Phillips allegedly tried to shoot him again.
“I couldn’t feel anything,” he said. “I just felt the blood coming from my teeth.”
The gun jammed, Martin said, so Phillips pistol-whipped him instead and the two men began fighting.
Martin said they fought all the way into the front yard and he held onto Phillips until he saw the police arrive at the house. He let go and fell on his knees.
He said he held onto Phillips because he feared he would kill him and go back into the house and kill the rest of the family if he let go.
Police arrested Phillips at the scene. The Denver district attorney has charged him with first-degree murder.
“I want to see him go to prison for life,” Martin said.
Martin needs reconstructive surgery on his face because of the bullet wound above his lip and the knots on his head. The surgeries are expected to take a year, he said.
Anyone interested in donating may send contributions to the Jhamar T. Martin Fund, Fitzsimons Community Federal Credit Union, 13529 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80010, attention Terri Schmidt.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
