Portland families mourn youngsters murdered in Kingston

Like many school leavers from rural Jamaica, Daniqua Graham, 17, and Nicholas Lindsay, 20, left their communities in eastern Portland to seek opportunities to lead prosperous lives in the Corporate Area.

But the wrath of vicious criminals in the capital city left both their families in mourning after they were murdered in Kingston. Graham and Lindsay were killed by gunmen, who riddled the house they were living in with bullets on July 3 on Lower Mall Road, Kingston 11.

Graham's baby, who was 11 months old at the time, was shot in the abdomen in the attack. The baby has since recovered and is in the care of his grandmother.

After the splenetic process, which normally follows death of this nature, the remains of the victims were transported back to Portland, where both families came together to plan a week of celebrations for Graham and Lindsay.

"It just make sense that them come together and plan things on separate dates because they have the nine nights on the same night and people just a run from Hector's River to Long Road," a public transport operator, who operates in the area, told THE STAR.

Furthering his education

Lindsay's mother, Jessica Doswell, said the experience at the candlelight vigil played a part in both families deciding to keep dates of the funeral a week apart.

"Because dem come from the same age group, they went to Happy Grove and live in the area. You find that we can't keep both things at the same time," Doswell said.

"We went to the girl's grave digging, the set-up and the funeral, and they coming to Nick's own this week."

Graham was laid to rest last Sunday after a church service at Seaside Quaker Church at Happy Grove.

Lindsay, who was a selector for popular sound system, Nex, in Portland and who wanted to study music at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, will be laid to rest on Saturday, following a thanksgiving service at The Happy Grove Church of God Prophecy.

Doswell said that she doesn't regret her decision to send her last son to live with his aunt in Kingston as that was the only avenue to the path of furthering his education.

"I don't regret it because is a place where him a go from he was a child. After him leave school, him say that him a go there and help him auntie with her shop, until him can afford to go to Edna Manley," Doswell said.