Relatives: They were innocent

UPDATE:

BLOOD ran in the streets of Diego Martin on Monday evening, as a group of gunmen ambushed unsuspecting villagers on Hillaire Street, leaving John Charles, a 36-year-old father of two, and 18-year-old Jabari Goodridge dead as well as wounding six other people.

Relatives of both men yesterday lamented their deaths at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, saying they were innocent men who were not involved in any criminal activity. In fact, police sources told Newsday that none of the people who were shot on Monday were known to police who are still trying to ascertain a motive for the shooting.

Goodridge and James were among a group of people standing on the roadway on Hillaire Street, Diego Martin, when gunmen approached them and fired several shots. Newsday understands as people ran for cover, the gunmen followed and the shooting extended to nearby streets, before gunmen fled the scene. Charles, along with Nakiya Goodridge, Nathaniel Quow, Kafini Eligon and Cheekah King–all of Hillaire Street, Jabari Joseph of San Juan and Oba Carr of River Estate were wounded, and taken to hospital. Charles died at hospital, while Goodridge’s body was found by relatives at the scene of the shooting sometime later.

One of Goodridge’s relatives, who survived the shooting, told reporters she was sitting with the group mere seconds before gunmen descended on them with automatic weapons.

“I came outside to give my child a little breeze and I was talking with a family member. As I got up and was about to go inside, I just heard ‘ratatatatat!’ I ran inside and I heard a relative cry out for help because she was shot. I ran upstairs with my child and handed him to another relative then I went back to help. We couldn’t find Jabari and I ran back upstairs and I saw him running to the back of the neighbour’s house. I told people to go look for him there and after a while they found him. He was lying down on his back clutching his chest like if he was trying to stay alive,” said the relative. The relative described Goodridge as a caring person. She said the two had a very close relationship and they would spend a lot of time together. She added that on Monday, he spent the day with her after he found out that she was sick and helped with chores.

Charles’ wife, who did not wish to be named, said he went to Hillaire Street to visit his grandmother. She described him as a quiet person who would hardly speak.

“He doesn’t be in anything. He would just go to work and come back home, and that’s it. He would follow the same routine the next day.” Relatives added Charles liked football, and played regularly in the small league matches in Diego Martin. His wife added that his death has left the entire family in shambles, but it had the greatest effect on his two children, ages two and ten.

“His ten-year-old daughter keeps telling me that she does not know how to cry or what to do since she heard of his death last night,” said the wife. “We are hoping for some counselling for her. This (yesterday) morning the baby got up and asked for him, because he would usually make breakfast for them. He said ‘Mommy, where is daddy? Is he making breakfast so that I could go to the daycare with the children?’ I had to tell him no.”

While police are working on the theory that the shooting may be part of an ongoing conflict between rival gangs in the area, police have not yet been able to link this attack to other shootings in the area.

On May 3 at about 4 pm, two men were killed and three others were wounded when gunmen ambushed them while they were playing cards in Coco Jah, Petit Valley.

On January 22 a man was killed and two others injured in a shooting at Quarry street.

ORIGINAL STORY:

BLOOD flowed in the streets of Diego Martin on Monday evening, as gunmen ambushed unsuspecting villagers on Hillaire Street, leaving 36-year-old father of two John Charles and 19-year-old Jabari Goodridge dead and six others in hospital nursing gunshot injuries.

Relatives of the dead men yesterday lamented their deaths while they were at the Forensic Science Centre (FSC) in St James awaiting autopsy reports. They claimed both men were innocent and not involved in any criminal activity.

In fact, police sources said none of the people shot on Monday were known to police.

"All the people shot are innocent," said a relative of Goodridge who, like police, are still trying to ascertain the motive behind the shooting.

Goodridge and James were among a group of people liming on the roadside when gunmen approached and opened fire. Newsday understands as people ran for cover the gunmen followed and the shooting extended to nearby streets.