Chicago, IL — The worst — and most painful — feeling in the world is when a parent loses their child, especially abruptly. In the case of Maiyanne Hubbard-Armster, not only was it suddenly, it was senseless and tragic. Her son, Nashiem Hubbard-Etienne, was tragically killed on July 16 by five individuals, one of the accused being Kennesaw State women’s basketball star Kamiyah Street.
In this heartbreaking interview, Hubbard-Etienne lays out many things that have not been reported yet: Street’s involvement, how Street has shown no remorse, and the moments that led to her son’s innocent life being taken. Sadly, Hubbard-Etienne was an innocent bystander, who was gunned down in a heartless manner, for no other reason is that he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And while Street’s involvement, as a star basketball player for the Owls, has made this sad story national news. There’s another side to this story: a wonderful and caring son, a hardworking young man that was doing so much good in his life, only for it be suddenly taken over something so minor and senseless, something that had nothing to do with him. Here’s Part 1 of the interview.
The Ball Out: “We are sorry for your loss, how are you holding up?”
Maiyanne Hubbard-Armster: “It’s been a roller coaster as you can imagine. You know, when something like this happened, you think that you, you might have an idea. And I’m always, uh, if like guys were mothers who lost their children and I could never imagine, you know, I know, thank God that it wasn’t me, and I couldn’t imagine what they were going through, but that having had gone through it now besides the logical and emotional battle that a mother goes through when they lose the child.
“It’s really … it’s really unbearable. And, and you feel so many different emotions, you know? Right. It warrants, um, um, anger and rage, um, uh, self-blame. You know, somehow, you’re stuck with the feeling that you could have done something to stop this. And if even when it’s completely out of your reach or your realm, and you know, you know, you have nothing to do with it, it’s crazy how you could know that and still feel all of the weight and the pain. Because as a mother, no matter what, there’s just something that comes with that. And that is protecting your children, right? And believing that you can do that, and you do everything you can to everything. You can. So make sure that they’re safe, you know, and, that boy was my world (starts crying).
TBO: What was your son like?
MHA: Everyone loved him (pauses for a few moments to gather herself, as she’s still crying). Family meant so much to him. And he was such a different kid; we instantly felt like he was an old soul. Like there was just something about him. Everyone loved him and adored him, so they’re buying him stuff, and I’m like, ‘No, I’m not buying that. That’s crazy. $300 pants, you know, that’s silly stuff (laughing).’ But then I see him like give it away. And I’m like mad, like, ‘You know how hard we worked to get to this?’ and that and he’d always go with a blank face. He would be like, ‘So you’re mad at me for giving it to someone else who needs it more?’ And he’ll be like, ‘I know how I might get in trouble, and I’m okay with that. Whatever my punishment, I’ll take. But that kid had less than me. He loved helping people, from the beginning he’s always said, “What I want to do is I want to teach, I want to create an organization.”
TBO: Based on the information you have and can speak on, what was the reason for them killing your son? And Street’s involvement?
MHA: “(Street and Hubbard-Etienne’s friend Roland) were gambling (at an acquaintance’s house: Will); they get into an argument about $500 that (Street) feels that she’s owed from the dice game. So they get into an argument about it, and she decides to go pick up her friends (Devon Cortez Banks, Johnerton Gilstrap, Raynard Wells and Dontavoius Bradley) to I guess collect for her. She told investigators, ‘She went to go pick them up to help her get her money from Roland.’ She leaves to do that; my son and Roland leave to go to the convenient store.
“My brother-in-law was actually talking to my son (over the phone at the time), and he saw my son sitting on the couch, while (Street and Roland) were shooting dice. (My son) told him he wasn’t going to shoot dice and that he was going home soon. (Roland and Hubbard-Etienne) go to the store, while they are out at the store, Kamiyah returns with her four buddies, but they don’t find Roland at the apartment. So, they go back out into the neighborhood to go look for Roland. They see Roland and (Hubbard-Etienne) at the store and wait outside for them.
“They follow them back to the apartment complex, trailed them in the parking garage, (Street) pulls her car around the other end where it wouldn’t be seen. As my son and Roland (Peck) are walking from the parking garage to get to the apartment, the suspects catch them off-guard, and shots fired. I was told it was instant shots fired. (Street) had no remorse. She told (investigators) that she did pick up the four (other suspects) to come after this other guy for $500 over a dice game that (she) lost. She says to (investigators), ‘Oh, that other guy (Hubbard-Etienne)? I didn’t know him; he was just sitting on the couch doing nothing.'”
TBO: How did it make you feel to see Street still playing basketball up until last week, moreover, seeing the women’s basketball coaching staff tweeting joy over winning a basketball game on Saturday, when it became public knowledge that their star playing has been charged with murdering your son?
https://twitter.com/KSUcoachB/status/1198399549389316098
MHA: “(My family and I) have been infuriated; we have been infuriated over here! What’s wrong with this world? That’s what’s wrong with this world, life has no value. Every day, you know, we’re always like, what’s going on with this Kamiyah Street? And every time I went down there (Atlanta) for court, what’s going on with this Kamiyah Street? How is she able to live life like nothing happened?
Stay tuned for Part 2.
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