11-y-o still in hospital following Fletcher’s Land shooting

February 14, 2020
Claudius Johnson
Claudius Johnson
11-year-old Ricardo Johnson, a student of Mico Practising Primary and Junior High School.
11-year-old Ricardo Johnson, a student of Mico Practising Primary and Junior High School.
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It was a typical evening in Fletcher's Land last Saturday with a large group of community members gathered outside.

All hell broke loose when a vehicle entered the community from upper King Street some time after 4 p.m. Two men jumped out, spraying the community with gunshots.

When the shooting ended, Ricardo Johnson, 11, and a man, believed to be in his 30s, had been hit.

Ricardo was later rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), where he underwent surgery.

Claudius Johnson, Ricardo's father, told THE WEEKEND STAR that his son was sitting outside at the gate with his mother at the time of the shooting.

"I was here but I was inside the house. The mother is OK ... she up by the hospital with him now. I go up there every day," he said.

He said that the gunshots were going on for a "good while", and, ran to check on his family.

Him screaming

But before Johnson could leave the house, Ricardo ran towards him screaming "Me get shot! Me get shot!".

"Him lif up him shirt and say him get shot ... he wasn't crying or anything. Him just keep on saying him get shot," said Johnson.

He said that earlier that day, he had begged Ricardo to stay inside and "watch TV or do some schoolwork".

He said that he only allowed him to go outside because his mother was there. "A ghetto, so you have to try avoid certain things sometimes," said Johnson.

After persons, including Ricardo's mother, became aware that he had been shot, Johnson said that his older son grabbed him and took him to the hospital.

"Him bredda have a van, so he took him to the hospital with the mother," he said.

As he waited on news about his son's condition, Johnson said that his head was spinning and he felt as though the world was on fire.

"I couldn't think straight ... nothing at all. I was even eating before everything and me jus leave it and go outside to kill time. Dem do dem operation and then they moved him to Children's (Bustamante Hospital for Children)," he said.

Johnson said that Ricardo was responsive, but he could not give details as to his condition. The condition of the injured man is unknown.

Johnson said that he has been living in Fletcher's Land for more than 20 years, and this is the first time that his family has been affected by such an issue.

"Nothing like this never happen yet ... one of my sisters was stabbed and killed downtown, but otherwise from that, nothing!" he said.

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