My boys are not gangsters, says mother of slain sons
Published:Saturday | January 11, 2025 | 12:10 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Residents of McBride Hill in Central Village, Spanish Town are still reeling from shock following the brutal killing of three young men on Wednesday night in what police suspect is a gang-related attack.
The victims – 22-year-old Jahiem Ferguson, alias ‘JayJay’; his 20-year-old brother Giovanni Ferguson, alias ‘Gio’; and their cousin Matthew Smith, 21, also known as Cool Jay; – were gunned down around 9:45 p.m. by armed men wielding rifles and handguns.
According to the St Catherine South Police, the attackers approached the area on foot and unleashed a hail of gunfire before fleeing.
The men died on the spot.
Investigators have since recovered several pieces of evidence, including live rounds and spent casings from rifles and handguns, as well as blood samples.
‘MY BELLY MOVED’
Despite police suspicions of a gang connection that led to the triple murder, the mother of the two brothers has vehemently denied the claims.
“My boys are not gangsters. All they do in their spare time is play video games. All I want to do now is to clear the air,” she said, breaking down as neighbours comforted her yesterday.
The grieving mother, who was at a bus stop heading to work when she heard the gunshots, recounted, “My belly moved; this is how I knew something had gone wrong.”
She stressed, “It’s just not fair for my sons to be labelled as gangsters, because they are working young men who have not been involved in any wrongdoing.”
A neighbour echoed her sentiments, insisting that the victims were innocent. “Only God can come down from heaven and convince me that these men are involved in any wrongdoing. In fact, I think it is a case of mistaken identity,” the neighbour said.
Member of Parliament for St Catherine Eastern, Denise Daley, visited the grieving family on Thursday and expressed her dismay.
“When I spoke to the family, they were totally traumatised and scared to return to the area. I am here to advise the citizens that I will be requesting increased police presence in the area, to offer special protection for the residents,” she said.
As investigations continue, the police are urging anyone with information about the attack to come forward.
Meanwhile, the residents are calling for urgent security measures to restore peace in their community, where fear has gripped many.