Peace shattered after Rockfort quintuple murder

When a relative of Ortavia 'Mandez' Austin heard a number of explosions on Sunday night in Rockfort, east Kingston, she initially thought it was a form of celebration.

The woman had only returned to the island hours earlier and thought peace was the order of the day. After all, she said, that was Austin's dream. She said the 51-year-old had a special love for Jamaica, especially Oliver Road in Rockfort. His aim, she said, was to steer the youth from a path of violence. But that was not to be. Austin was cut down in a hail of bullets after a football match. His son Okero and three other men were also killed.

"He decided that he wanted to come back to his country, although he is a resident of the United States. He was very kind and he was loved by everyone. Even his enemies loved him. I came to Jamaica Saturday night and he died Sunday. I don't think he knew that I was here. I knew he would come and look for me," she said. The woman said she learnt of the shooting from persons overseas. She wiped a tear before she spoke about the devastation that the community is enduring.

"Everyone is heartbroken. We are human beings and fear is going to come into us because he who was so loved was taken brutally like that. So we are fearful, but I live under the banner of the Almighty and I trust Him," she said.

As THE WEEKEND STAR travelled through the embattled space, there were hardly any males in sight. A few females sat in small groups. Some said they only ventured outside their houses because the security forces remain within area.

"Right now, we afraid and, if mi hear the dog bark, mi nervous. A di first mi ever see something like this happen. Normally war gwan, but a first mi see five dead one time. Dem youth here nuh have nuh heart and is like dem go school for shooting. Imagine one of the man dem go under a car to save himself and dem pull him out and kill him," the resident said. Austin and another man who the residents referred to as 'John' were labelled 'strong men' and 'peacemakers'.

"The place did peaceful and the man weh name John use to keep a treat every two weeks. Yuh could carry yuh pickney and dem enjoy themselves and dem get dem popcorn and ice cream. Right now, the children traumatised because dem little idol gone. He was very good to them. Both Mandez and him was good people. Nuff a we don't send we children to school," one woman said. She theorised that persons who were opposed to having a peaceful community were responsible for the killings.

"A nuh everybody want peace treaty. The place did a come back really good, and look deh. Fi show yuh say a peace di man dem say, no man never go to the match with gun, because a peace dem say," she said.

Head of the Kingston Eastern Police Division, Superintendent of Police Tommilee Chambers, said no motive has been established for the deadly attacks, and no one has been taken into custody.