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A resident of Cherry Tree Lane in Clarendon, speaking with Radio Jamaica News correspondent Hopeton Henry
By Nakinskie Robinson
There is shock and sadness in Cherry Tree Lane, Four Paths, Clarendon as residents struggle to come to grips with Sunday night's deadly attack in the community.
Eight people, including a child, were killed and nine others shot and wounded.
The police have identified seven of the eight victims of Sunday's shooting.
They are eight-year-old Aiden Bartley, a student of Four Paths Primary School; 27-year-old cosmetologist, Kavel Daley; 50-year-old Lawrence Francis, a construction worker; and 20-year-old cashier, Diamond Bennett.
Also killed were 68-year-old butcher, Errol Stewart, otherwise called 'Wagga'; Courtney Messam, otherwise called 'Dummy'; and a woman known only as Margaret.
Nine others, including a one-year-old, have been hospitalised with bullet wounds.
The boyfriend of one of the female victims was a picture of grief when he spoke with Radio Jamaica News on Monday morning.
Recounting the post shooting scene, the man said he had never before witnessed that extent of bloodletting in the community.
"First mi even see dis inna my life.... A now nobody nah come a Cherry Tree again. First dis ever happen, first in a lifetime," he lamented.
The man said he had spoken to his girlfriend just about 10 minutes before the shooting took place, only to hear moments later that she and others had been killed.
"Same time mi walk come down inna eh lane... mi come deh come see one yute right yah suh, mi see one next yute up pon di ball ground, mi see one next baby yute.... It mash up di whole a mi meditation right now," he bemoaned.
He said he narrowly escaped what could have been a disastrous end to his own life, as many of the other victims were his friends.
Another resident, Debbie-Ann Hamilton Francis, the wife of another of the victims who died in Sunday night's tragedy, said she is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband.
She also lost her daughter and brother in the incident.
"Dem tek everything from mi. Mi husband dead inna mi hand.... Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," the heartbroken and inconsolable woman cried.
Member of Parliament for South West Clarendon Lothian Cousins said he has been left dejected by the incident, which he described as senseless.
"It's disheartening that these are persons, especially children and women, who are just out as residents within their community, trying to enjoy themselves and have a good time, and for them to be set upon like this - because this is just a random act of violence here where, obviously, it doesn't appear to have been any set target, just an incident of terror, just coming into our community and just shooting indiscriminately," the MP told Radio Jamaica News.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang and other officials visited the area on Monday.
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