9-y-o killed in fish gun mishap

Residents of Middlesex, St Elizabeth, are still haunted by the screams belted out by Stacy-Ann Brown upon discovering that her nine-year-old daughter, Monique Brown, was covered in blood and muttering that she had been shot with her father’s fishing gun.

The pangs of distress were made worse by news that it was a freak accident involving Monique’s older brother.

The yard where the tragedy unfolded was itself deserted on Sunday morning as the family had reportedly gone to the Black River Police Station, where the 14-year-old schoolboy was in custody.

Reports by the police are that shortly after 3 p.m., the mother was taking a shower when she was jolted by Monique’s blood-curdling cries.

The nine-year-old, a student of Holland Primary, was discovered with blood seeping from her mouth and upper back and allegedly muttered that she had been shot by her brother.

The terrified mother screamed for help as the wounded child died in her arms.

Community members were still in a daze on Sunday as they recounted how the tragedy unfolded.

“Mi a one a di first person fi run go dung deh, and mi frighten so till fi see Stacy naked as di day shi born wid Monique inna har hand,” a resident who goes by the name ‘Rasta’ told The Gleaner.

“Mi inna mi tailor shop when mi hear the screams dem, but it was another neighbour who run come call mi, an wi both run go dung a Stacy yard an see har a bawl out wid the little girl crouched down in har hand.”

Another resident said that she overheard Monique’s older brother say, “A play wi did a play wid the fish gun, and it accidentally shot har.”

The boy, whose name is not published by The Gleaner because he is a minor, reportedly pulled the spear out of his sister’s punctured body in a bid to save her life.