Gleaner guard’s son murdered in MoBay

WESTERN BUREAU:

Grief was etched on many faces at The Gleaner's Western Bureau office on Wednesday morning as members of staff joined the bureau's long-serving security guard Joslyn Satchwell in mourning the death of his son who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Tucker, St James, on Tuesday night.

The dead man, 34-year-old construction worker, Rohan Satchwell, was shot at approximately 7:25 p.m. He subsequently died while being transported to the Cornwall Regional Hospital. He is the last of the four children produced in the 36-year union between the senior Satchwell and his late wife, Shiela, who died three years and eleven months ago.

hardest thing to accept

"The hardest thing to accept is that he died with his head in my lap and I couldn't do anything about it," said the grieving father, who was in the vehicle transporting his son to the hospital when he died. "I was in my house when I heard a shot and then I heard my son's voice and then more gunshots."

According to reports, the younger Satchwell had just returned to the community from work when he was accosted by an unidentified individual who confronted him in proximity to his home, which is on an adjoining property to his father.

"After I heard his voice and the shots, I ran outside and saw him on the ground ... me and his bigger brother put him in a car, but he died on the way to the hospital," said Satchwell. "I have not yet got over his mother's death and now he is dead ... . It is really a sad time for me."

According to residents of the community, the area has been quite tense in recent months on account of several shooting incidents, including a murder two weeks ago.

"Right now, my family is devastated by what has happened. We are a very close family that cares for each other," said Satchwell, who described his deceased son as an affable young man who had proved time and again to be reliable and dependable.

"Right now, my son's only child, my 10-year-old grandson, is in a state of shock as he knows he is now without a father."

Despite being caught up in the death of his son, the grieving Satchwell has decided to launch an appeal to all the young men who have embraced the prevailing gun culture. He says he is imploring them to seek out other options such as education.

"Our young men need to reject the gun and seek God and education. The gun only brings unnecessary hurt and pain," said Satchwell. "My grandson will now have to grow up without a father because of a gun that was in the wrong hands."