‘Decent’ JDF reservist slain in ‘Zambia’
Published:Wednesday | June 15, 2022 | 12:12 AM
An elderly woman who slept under her bed until daylight when shots rang out in the wee hours Tuesday morning was devastated on learning that the Jamaica Defence Force reservist she informally labelled her ‘son’ was murdered.
Dead is 26-year-old Kemar Dennis.
“Mi know him from a little boy. I didn’t know when he went to (training) school, but I know him. He was a decent boy,” the senior said of Dennis.
The community of Zambia in Central Village, St Catherine, has historically been plagued by violence, with recent murders and shootings triggering fresh alarm.
The senior resident told The Gleaner that young gangsters from various sections of the community were settling their differences with firepower.
“The crime around here, it’s a little mix-up with the boy-boy dem,” she lamented, saying the violence had caused shops to remain closed.
Zambia was a ghost town on Tuesday afternoon.
The elderly resident, unlike others who live in proximity to the murder scene who were tight-lipped, was vocal because Dennis is someone she knew well.
The senior said he would go shopping for her on request.
“I can’t believe it. This morning, I was on the bed. It’s mi alone live. When mi hear the explosions, mi slide off the bed and stay under there ‘til day light out,” she said.
The woman is concerned that lives are being snuffed out at will, but she is resolved to live by faith.
“All I can do is sing, smile, and pray,” she said in a low tone.
The police reported that about 3 a.m., heavily armed men invaded the home of Dennis and shot him several times before leaving him for dead.
The reservist was discovered outside suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The blood-soaked yard and bullet-riddled door to his house told a graphic tale of the brutality of the attack.
Investigations are ongoing.
The St Catherine North Police Division has reportedly recorded four murders in the past 24 hours.
Up to June 12, murders in the division jumped to a 39.1 per cent increase year-on-year.
During the period under review, 64 people were killed compared to 46 in 2021.
Shootings and rape have also risen over the period.