Five killed in 24 hours - Missing bike believed to be at heart of bloodletting in Effortville

A man and a woman were killed in the Long Gully section of Effortville, Clarendon, late Thursday as a murderous rampage which began on Wednesday night continued, claiming five lives and leaving three persons nursing gunshot wounds.

When The Gleaner visited the community yesterday, blood-stained streets bore testament to the previous night of horror in which six people, including a pregnant woman, were shot in three separate incidents. Three of those victims have succumbed to their injuries.

It is believed that a missing bike is at the heart of the gruesome attacks on Wednesday. It has not been confirmed whether these shooting incidents were related to last night’s.

In the first shooting, 52-year-old baker and mason Evriel Mitchell, otherwise called ‘Cootie’, of Leon Avenue in Effortville, and his neighbour, 57-year-old taxi driver Michael ‘Shutty’ Henry were killed.

According to relatives, the two men were discussing an early Thursday morning trip to Kingston when they were pounced upon by three gunmen who demanded their phones and valuables. It is reported that the men were then forced to walk to a nearby shop, where they were shot.

When The Gleaner visited the community yesterday, the shop operator was washing blood from the premises.

Ear-piercing wails rang out from Mitchell’s family home as relatives mourned the man they described as a hard worker who was assigned all the painting jobs in the community.

“How we really a go live without him?” asked a cousin, Yvette Foote, adding that Mitchell was a family and community favourite.

“From me deh pan earth, a the hottest pain me ever feel. To how me feel last night is like me did a go dead in me sleep,” she added.

Mitchell’s sister, Valerie, described her brother as “a humble person. Never hear him and nobody a cuss or quarrel. Him hardly talk. If him hear we in the yard a argue, him a come out go somewhere else.”

His 79-year-old mother, Perris Samuels, said her son was well-mannered and loved children.

She said that when she heard the gunshots, she started praying.

“I start to tremble, and I couldn’t talk,” she said.

Henry’s family was also heartbroken, and his 95-year-old father had to seek medical attention upon hearing of his son’s murder close to their gate.

“Me upstairs and me hear the shot them … . A whole heap a shot me hear,” he said. “A me food basket, you know. A him look bout mi meals ‘cause a me and him alone deh here.”

A pregnant woman and her spouse, who were reportedly on their way from church, were also attacked in the shooting spree. The expectant mother is said to be in serious condition.

A 48-year-old mother of three was also killed.

Superintendent Christopher Phillips, who is in charge of operations, has described the incidents as outrageous.

“The information we are getting is that three men entered the community and started to ask persons for a bike that went missing, and the first two men that were killed were accused of knowing where the bike is,” he said.

“The incident on Alexander Avenue, those persons were at their gate and the three men came up and robbed the persons there and asked about a bike. They were determined to find the bike. The mother who was there with her children came on the verandah asking what was happening, and she was shot, and she eventually died,” he added.

“We want to call on the residents to tell us all that you know because this is of serious interest. We anticipate that this might cause further problem for us in the division,” said Phillips.

Murders in Clarendon are down this year by 18 per cent, or 21 fewer than the 116 people who were killed up to December 12, 2019.

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