Mayhem in St Bess - Two shot and killed at party

Denworth Teape was Mildred Rose's only child. The Elim, St Elizabeth, resident was among two persons murdered at a party in New Town in the parish on Tuesday night.

"Him was a humble person, very quiet, and was not a troublemaker," Rose said of her 30-year-old son who perished in the gun attack that also claimed the life of Fabian Medley, 33, also called Fabby of Elim.

"Is the one child mi have, the one and only pickney, and dem just cum kill him suh. But mi a ask God fi guide and keep mi because only him know best," Rose said.

Reports from the Black River police are that about 10:30 p.m., Teape and Medley were among patrons at a bar when they were pounced upon by gunmen travelling in a Toyota Voxy motor bus, who opened fire hitting them. Two other persons were shot and injured.

Forced to run for cover

Residents said that one man alighted from the vehicle with a handgun and opened fire on the patrons who were standing along the roadway. Eyewitnesses said that they were forced to run for cover to avoid being shot to death, while the gunman jumped back into the waiting vehicle, which sped away.

One young woman who said she was present at the party told THE ST AR that she and her friends had to run for cover.

"Up until now mi can't believe what really tek place. Mi still can't believe seh dem really kill the youth dem," a patron at Tuesday's event said.

"Me and mi fren dem a dance pon di road and wi really si wen the car drive up. At first wi think it was man a bus fire rocket fi the selector pull up the music, but is wen wi si everybody a run, and people a tumble over that wi start run to, and den wi hear seh a gunman," the traumatised woman said.

Medley's mother, Iris Rashford, said she could not hold back the tears as she mourned the loss of her son.

"Yesterday evening when him cum in, him did have some clothes and I told him to separate them, because he knows that I always wash on a Wednesday," the weeping woman stated.

"A then share out him dinner give him, and after him eat, him bathe and put on him clothes. The baby (his nephew) was the last person him tek up, hug and said later," she said.

The father of two, who has a third child on the way, did not return home.