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As the sun rose Monday, unfinished bingo cards, discarded food and drinks were scattered around, a stark reminder of how fun times at the Clarendon Four-Way turned to terror after a deadly shooting.
As dawn broke, a harrowing sleepless night ended as shocked residents of a rural community emerged from their homes, still reeling from the mass shooting that had killed eight people and injured 10 just hours earlier.
Wails of pain filled the air and a somber mood settled over the neighborhood as curious residents gathered near the car wash and bar on Cherry Tree Lane where a birthday party was taking place, but the horrific attack occurred just minutes before 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Debbie-Ann Hamilton-Francis was devastated, as her daughter Carvel Daly, a 27-year-old therapist, her husband Lawrence Francis, a 50-year-old construction worker, and her cousin Courtney Messam were all killed in the attack.
“Oh my God! I can’t take it! This is too much! Oh my God, I feel like I’m dead inside,” Frances cried as two residents tried to comfort her.
“Courtney’s eyes shot out. Courtney’s eyes shot out,” she wailed, referring to her late cousin.
Also killed in the massacre was seven-year-old Aiden Bartley, the youngest of the victims, who was shot in the neck and arm.
In a statement, Silu Primary School and Kindergarten said his murder was sad and cruel.
“Aiden was a very affable and polite student who got along well with both students and staff. Aiden will be greatly missed. Our prayers are with his immediate family during this very difficult time.
“We will continue to pray that our community is protected and that the criminals who committed this heinous act are brought to justice swiftly,” the statement said.
Other victims included cashier Diamond Bennett, 20, butcher Errol Stewart, 58, Jermaine Boothe, 32, and a woman known only as “Margaret”, all of whom lived at the Cherry Tree Lane address.
Planned attack
According to reports, a white Toyota Axio drove up to the car wash where the party was taking place and three men armed with rifles and pistols got out and opened fire on customers.
After the gunfire subsided, young Aiden and three others were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police said the gunmen then drove toward May Penn Bypass and when they reached another section of Cherry Tree Lane, they stopped at another gathering and two men got out of the car, opened fire again, and then fled in a waiting vehicle.
In the second shooting, two people were shot dead, bringing the death toll to eight.
Ten of the hospitalized victims were reported in serious condition as of late Monday night.
A one-year-old child who was shot in the shoulder and a 70-year-old woman were caring for the wounded.
One Cherry Tree Lane resident said the carnage cost the area a chance to return to its former glory.
The woman, who did not want to be named out of fear, told reporters that the community has been working hard to restore unity, and the party on Sunday to celebrate a resident’s birthday was part of their efforts to restore peace and unity in the community.
Community shocked
“Nobody expected this to happen. It shocked the whole community because babies died, babies were injured, children who went to school died, men and women died. It’s very sad,” she said.
“And the place is being built up. More people are living here now. There is a beautiful complex even seconds away. People from all over are coming here now to build beautiful houses because this place is stigmatized because of the same shooting business and competition,” she said, lamenting the shadow that now hangs over the area.
Another resident said the bloody scene of the first shooting was heartbreaking.
“I saw many bodies scattered on the road, including the body of the little boy, which had multiple bullet holes in it,” he said, before describing the heartbreaking scene.
He expressed concern about possible retaliation or all-out war in the region, which is under a curfew.
“I’m worried that other people will also lose their lives in the cycle of revenge,” said the man, who did not want to be named.
Four men were arrested on Monday after they were cordoned off and searched by police just metres from the fatal scene. The four men, who were riding two motorcycles, were reportedly chased after refusing police orders to stop. At least one firearm was reportedly taken from them.
Investigators believe Sunday night’s attack may have been retaliation for the 2021 Havana Heights quadruple murder and that the attack may have been ordered from inside the prison.
On Monday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness vowed to bring those responsible for the bloodshed to justice.
“I feel and empathize with the pain of these families, the community and Jamaica as a whole, and my prayers are with those who have been injured. This is a criminal act, a violation of our laws, an attack on public order. The purpose was not only to harm the victims, (or) simply to spread terror in the local community. The purpose of this act was to spread terror throughout the country,” he said.
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