According to police, a 37-year-old DJ from Queens who was eagerly anticipating a “big night” was tragically shot and killed in the early hours of Thursday morning when a dispute erupted at a Fourth of July celebration.
Around 5 a.m., a party held at a residence on Montauk St. near 119th Road in St. Albans turned fatal as Travanti Rankine was shot in the chest. The tragic incident has left his family in a state of deep shock and grief.
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On Thursday morning, the Daily News reported that Sasha-Marie Rankine, the wife of Rankine, expressed her devastation and feeling of weakness, stating, “I just can’t believe it.”
Sasha-Marie was still attempting to comprehend what had transpired hours after the murder of the father of two.
With tears streaming down her face, she expressed her profound grief and disbelief, insisting that he shouldn’t have left yet. “It wasn’t his time,” she sobbed. “I don’t care what anyone else says, there was absolutely no reason for him to die. None at all.”
While enjoying the festivities outside the party, Rankine found himself in the midst of an argument between two guests. The situation quickly escalated when one of the guests pulled out a gun and fired a shot, hitting Rankine on his right side, according to the police.
It is still unclear for the police whether Rankine was an active participant in the fight or merely a bystander at the time.
As an electrician at Carle Place High School in Long Island, Rankine found himself drawn to the art of DJing. Being a Jamaican native, he had a natural talent for “Sing J” and would often incorporate raps and rhymes into his sets while spinning Jamaican reggae tracks. His passion for music clearly shone through in his performances.
According to Sasha-Marie, what started as a mere hobby quickly turned into a burning passion for the artist. He soon gained a reputation as a prominent local artist, performing at a variety of events including stage shows, parties, and backyard barbecues. His music was a reflection of his values, with lyrics that emphasized the importance of respect, loyalty, and family values.
According to the family of Rankine, he attended the party unaccompanied. He had visited his mother’s house a few hours before the shooting, around midnight, to drop off his two sons, aged 11 and 2, so that she could look after them.
Cassandra Rankine, 57, recalled when the late DMX called her and she inexplicably declined his invitation, saying, “Not tonight, not tonight.” She couldn’t explain why she said it, but DMX persisted, remarking that it was a significant evening. Although she wasn’t certain if he was scheduled to perform at the party, she knew that he occasionally did take the stage. The News reported her story.
When asked about her husband’s presence at the party, Sasha-Marie revealed that she only found out about his attendance after being informed that he had been shot.
As she recounted the events, she shared that her friend had been present at the party where the shooting had taken place. According to her friend’s account, she had called her immediately after the incident and informed her that he had been shot. However, as she had not witnessed the shooting herself, she had only come to know about it after the commotion had died down. As people started leaving the party, her friend was walking towards her car when she noticed a group of people gathered around a particular spot. Upon approaching the scene, she saw that it was her friend who had been shot.
The victim was quickly taken to Jamaica Hospital, where Sasha-Marie had recently completed her late-night shift as a telemetry technician.
As she reminisced, she shared that she immediately pivoted and stationed herself by the emergency room. The paramedics had been administering chest compressions while transporting him, and upon arrival, he remained unresponsive.
Police are currently searching for the gunman who fled the scene and remains at large. Authorities are actively searching the surrounding area for any surveillance footage that may aid in identifying the individual responsible for the shooting.
On Thursday morning, the investigation of NYPD detectives occupied a significant portion of Montauk St. The street was littered with red Solo cups and marked evidence.
Sasha-Marie took the morning to inform their children of the events that had occurred.
According to her, the older boy is aware of the situation, but he is still trying to process it as it seems surreal to him. On the other hand, the younger boy doesn’t comprehend what is happening.
As she mourns the loss of her beloved, the grieving widow has deep-seated emotions towards the individual who took her partner’s life. She strongly desires that they face the consequences of their actions and pay the price for their wrongdoing.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she bitterly expressed, “They don’t deserve to see the light of day. They don’t deserve to live.” She couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to harm someone like Rankine. “He’s not the type of person you want to kill. Why would you want to do that?” she questioned.
Tearfully, she spoke about the shooter, labeling him as evil and expressing the pain he caused her family. She revealed how the unfortunate incident had shattered her and Rankine’s bond, which was all her children had. With a quivering voice, she expressed her helplessness, wondering what she could do to cope with the tragedy.
