Remembering Mitchell Dubey

Caren Parmelee, Copy Writer:
This week, one of my best friends in the entire world was killed in an act of senseless violence. His name was Mitchell Dubey, and he was only 23 years old, not much older than most of the people who will be reading this issue of the Southern News.

While Mitch was at home eating dinner with his roommates and some friends this past Thursday, the doorbell rang and he answered it. A man who was covering his face came in, demanded that Mitch sit down, then shot him in the chest for no apparent reason and fled. He died in the hospital shortly after. There is no immediate motive for this crime. While Mitch lived in Newhallville, a neighborhood which has been notoriously plagued by crime, he truly believed he was safe in his home. He didn’t think his neighborhood was bad, and never said he felt uneasy there. The Cheshire home invasion case is proof enough that unfortunately, no community is immune from irrational, hateful, and pointless incidents like this.
Mitch was not a student here at Southern, but his home was very close to Southern’s campus. In his short time living in New Haven (three years), he became a huge part of the community while working briefly at Edge of the Woods market, then spending the past few years working at the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop as a bicycle mechanic. He was also an extremely supportive and instrumental figure in the local music scene. Above all, he was a completely selfless and giving friend, brother and son. He had a positive attitude about life that was absolutely unparalleled.
I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone at Southern and anyone else who may read this that life is extremely precious. Please take care of yourself, and take care of your friends. Remind your friends and families that you love them and care about them, and use every opportunity you have to show them. Don’t ever waste your time, and don’t take anything around you for granted.
Furthermore (and this is a plea, not an opinion), PLEASE take every opportunity you have to advocate against violence in our communities. Whether you live in New Haven or elsewhere, know that violence is never acceptable. It is never the solution to a problem. This should not have happened. My friend should not have been robbed of the bright and wonderful future that lay ahead of him.