Krysie praying for Jarrett Lane

The sounds of gunfire in the distance from Krysie's home last Saturday night signalled more bad news for Jarrett Lane.

But the dancehall singjay did not expect that the 'bad news' was that her brother, Richard Anderson, was one of the victims of a drive-by shooting that has rocked the entire eastern Kingston community.

"My daughter turned my attention to the gunshots being fired and me frighten when me go out on the street to people a tell me sey my brother dead," Krysie told THE STAR.

According to reports, the incident took place at approximately 8:15 p.m., resulting in the deaths of two residents, Marvin Westcarth, affectionately called Barco, and another, whose name was given as 'Kerr Kerr'; three other persons were injured.

Anderson, also known as Cartadon, who is an aspiring deejay, was admitted to hospital following the incident and is recovering after receiving three gunshot wounds, according to Krysie. "This is where we were raised. My brother doh trouble nobody, all him interested in is music. He is a calm person, so him seem all right but him lose him friend, so me know that hurt him but I am grateful he is alive," she shared.

"I'm praying right now. Nothing more powerful than God. All I want is peace fi di country and for these high-crime communities to wake up and see the value of people's lives," Krysie said, adding that Barco, who was like a brother to her, "is just a man weh full a chat. Him a di community mouthpiece and me mean say him outspoken and always talk sense."

She said that her daughter, like other children in east Kingston, is traumatised and she would love if the residents of the neighbouring communities could make a change for the future. Krysie said she thought things were getting better until a month ago, when three women were shot in a similar incident.

Crime is not the solution

"If yuh go around Barco, by time yuh ready fi leave, yuh cyan stop laugh. All him weh dead now and never do nothing to nobody, him leave two daughters, how them must feel?" the Tomorrow singer and songwriter sobbed. Krysie stressed that crime is not the solution.

"I don't know where it's coming from but this attitude of revenge for whatever reason or crimes of violence and revenge not helping to make anybody better. Everybody in Jarrett Lane has called for peace because when dem come ah shoot up di place, dem nuh business if ah man, woman, child or animal suffer. If these men carrying out the crimes believe in God, dem mus' know seh one day God ah guh talk to them," Krysie said.