Schoolgirl among three killed in home invasion

The smell of blood, a kicked-in door, and blood soaked mattresses and pillows tell the tale of the horror that transpired at 24 Harvey Road early yesterday morning.

According to the Corporate Communications Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, about 4 a.m., armed men gained entry to the house and shot four occupants, killing three, including a teenager.

The deceased have been identified as 16-year-old Jody-Ann Deer, her boyfriend 23-year-old Neville Lewis, and 20-year-old higgler Tajay Dunbar.

Yesterday, when the news team visited the area, news of the murders was on everyone's lips.

They described Deer as a studious teenager who, despite her struggles, was destined for greatness.

"Mi feel weak bad. Is like mi body numb. Mi in shock. All now mi don't know why mi niece dead. She is a nice little girl and she love school," a relative of Deer said.

Deer, who was a student at the St Patrick's Foundation in Seaview Gardens, was said to have been picking up the pieces of her life following her mother's death five years ago.

"She had a lot of ambition. She spent some time in a children's home but she was all about school. One of the guys that died was her boyfriend but he took really good care of her. She had relatives living in the community. She nor any of them did not deserve to die like this. The little girl had her bag full of books to go to school just hours before dem kill her," a woman said.

Hard-working individuals

Residents also described the men as hard-working individuals who were not known to be involved in any criminal activities.

An occupant of the dwelling sighed as she told THE STAR how her relatives, Dunbar and Lewis, along with their girlfriends, were attacked by the gunmen.

"I didn't sleep there last night (Tuesday) but my other family members were there. Is here so all a we grow, is a family yard. Mi hear say about 3:30 or so man kick down the door and shoot up mi brother and mi uncle and dem girlfriends. Dem never go in the other room or anything. Dem focus on two rooms but a just mi sister-in-law survive and deh a hospital. Right now mi just really sad because all a dem a innocent people," she said.

Residents speculated whether a shooting incident which occurred a few weeks ago, in which a teenage girl was injured in another section of the community may have triggered the murders.

Detectives from the Major Investigation Division theorise that the incident was gang-related.