'No one deserves to die like this'

Killing leaves MoBay community in shock

Barrington Flemming, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

"He was my gentle giant, a big baby, he never fought a day in his life. He was gentle, too soft for this world ... ." These are the pain-tinged words of a mother, Myrtle Lee Reid, steeped in grief over the slaying of her 16-year-old son, Matthew Reid, on Saturday by unknown assailants at the Centrepoint Plaza, Montego Bay.

The teenager had just completed extra lesson in mathematics at Cornwall College.

Matthew, a grade-11 student, was preparing to sit eight CSEC subjects this year.

"I was so looking forward to his graduation to congratulate him. He was intent on attending the Caribbean Institute of Technology to pursue studies to become a computer technician. Now I won't be able to see him do that," said Neville Reid, Matthew's father.

The police reported that about 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, two young men chased Matthew from the Bay West Shopping Centre. He ran to the nearby Centrepoint Plaza where he was cornered and stabbed several times in the neck, chest, back and his throat slashed.

He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.

Stealing his phone

Reports indicate that he was chased for his BlackBerry, which he did not hand over to the young men who had demanded it.

"He was not the type to be violent, always calm and peaceful. Matthew never got involved in sports because he was afraid of being injured," his mother said.

His sister, 18-year-old Samantha, her eyes filled with tears, struggled as she uttered the words: "I can't believe that he is gone, my great brother, my protector .... . Uhmmm," she signed and then groaned "my brother".

Matthew has been described by his sister as loving computers, always on the Internet with friends and very helpful.

Lorna Rampersaad, vice-principal of Cornwall College, said a pall of gloom now hangs over the institution, which has been traumatised by the killing.

"Matthew was a very good and promising student. Very good conduct, jovial and committed to the task at hand, that of learning. This is really hard on the psyche, this was a callous, calculated act which has seriously traumatised the entire institution. I don't know how and when we are going to come to grips with this," she said.

Rampersaad added: "He shared excellent camaraderie with his classmates. He will always be remembered for the shy look and smile."

"The principal, myself, the dean of discipline, and the old boys were there at the hospital with the parents and the question was 'why?' no one deserves to die like this."

Rampersaad said the trauma team from the Ministry of Education would be visiting the school today to offer grief counselling and deal with other issues.

Already, principal Denham McIntyre has postponed pre-CSEC and pre-CAPE examinations which were due to start today.