Dead end for St Thomas murderers - Cops kill men who shot businessman

Residents of Prospect in St Thomas are mourning the death of 32-year-old Dexter Rhoden, who was killed at his business place in the community yesterday.

The police say Rhoden was killed by four men who attempted to rob his wholesale.

The cops also say two of the men were later gunned down and one taken into custody following a shoot-out with the police as they tried to escape. The fourth man is on the run.

Scores of residents praised Rhoden as a 'hard-working youth'.

"Him a good, humble person. Him know what him want and him work for it. Every morning mi watch him go pick up some children to carry go school and come back come do him own work. He's not an idle boy weh siddung round, him nuh have no time for that. Him parents dem muss feel very proud of him. Him nuh give trouble, just work him pree," said one woman.

Rhoden's mother and stepfather also spoke of their son's industrious nature.

"Him try everything weh yu can think of that is right. Him do him likkle selling and always have a plan to go further. He never plans to stay at the level he is, him always have a bigger plan and he was willing to work for it," said Juliet Scott as she stared at her son's establishment.

Him buy him car

She continued, "When him do him last exam a HEART, him not even go back go do Level 2... straight work him go with him uncle and do carpentry until him say him a go buy a car, and mi throw partner for him and him buy him car. Him start run taxi and carry children go school until him start buy him little something dem and drive round and sell until him get him place. Tomorrow yah now him would a look fi go town to buy him goods." Scott said she does not know her son as a troublemaker doesn't know of him offending anyone.

"All I heard is that they come and call fi serve and when he saw the gun he tried to run but they cornered him. But all I'm asking of God is that He will make me strong and able to brace anything weh a come. Mi just want to be strong," she said. Her husband, Trevor, said "We done call pon God already and Him on the job already".

"Him a bring everybody to justice, they can't get away," he said. "From mi bend down in agony from morning, Him start work same time because I heard that they killed two already and catch one and anybody else involved will be caught. Mi nuh know how them a go get catch, but mi can tell you that they will not get away."