New Year’s Eve Shootings

A Central Kingston mother of two was discharged from hospital yesterday but will have to live with a bullet inside her chest after she was shot during an illegal New Year’s Eve gun salute on Sunday.

Jodi-Ann Sinclair, 34, told The Gleaner that 12:05 a.m. on New Year’s Day was a close call.

“Mi just come out (hospital). I was standing at the corner of Laws Street and Gold Street watching the fireworks on the waterfront. Mi ago move off and feel like something lick mi … . Mi say to mi fren say (expletive) who fling something and lick mi. That is how it feel,” Sinclair said.

After looking at the wound, her friend came to the conclusion that it was a gunshot and she was immediately rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

“I did a CT scan yesterday and dem say the bullet inna mi chest same way. The doctors say it can’t move from where it is. Dem say mi afi live with it,” Sinclair said.

She is aware of the advisory from the police which sternly warned against partaking in the illicit practice.

“Same day me and my mother were talking about it,” Sinclair said.

She has two children, 18 and seven years old.

While she sat with our news team, her teen son looked at her as if he was glad his mother was still alive.

“It makes mi feel like I am an idler, that’s how mi feel about it. When mi reach hospital the doctor and nurse dem a say mi know a whole heap a gunshot people ago come in here, bare idlers, so mi just feel like an idler.

But mi anuh idler mi just a look like everybody, just that I did not go down to waterfront,” Sinclair said.

According to her, the usual thing to do on New Year’s Eve is to stay on a housetop or by the corner and watch the fireworks.

Sinclair said that other residents were gathered where they could see the fireworks in plain sight.

An employee of a manufacturing company, Sinclair was comforted by coworkers who visited her yesterday.

The Central Kingston resident said she was not feeling any pain when The Gleaner spoke with her but will have to inform doctors that there is a bullet inside her if she is to do any surgery in the future.

Sinclair showed our news team the injury on her cell phone and said initially she thought it was just a flesh wound.

The police said an elderly woman was in her bed in the Olympic Gardens area and got shot, as well as a teen who was watching the waterfront fireworks.

“I saw that lady come in while I was there. She got shot somewhere near her shoulder. She was in her house sleeping,” Sinclair told The Gleaner.

“Mi nah promise nobody say mi ago stay in,” said Sinclair who gave thanks for being alive but noted that she will try to be in a safer place next time.

Sinclair’s mother, Marcia McFee, was kept in the dark briefly because she is sickly.

But when she did not get her usual happy New Year greeting she knew something was amiss.

“Dem hide it from mi for a while because I am not well. I got a stroke near Christmas last year and my blood pressure is high. If she even out here and new year come she normally run come in and tell mi ‘mommy, happy New Year’,” McFee said.

McFee said she was shaken when she found out about her daughter’s frightening encounter but expressed gratitude to those who comforted her after the incident.

A twitter user @demitheorem took to social media thankful to be alive and injury-free after a bullet entered through his roof.

“I think further awareness needs to be spread about gun salutes. New Year’s Eve nights will never be the same for me anymore. The idea behind staying home this year was to stay away from any possible drama. Now I don’t feel safe at home on these nights. I almost got killed!!!” Reid tweeted, with a picture of the bullet in his hand.

Another Twitter user @8twigz responded to Reid, saying he was not alone after experiencing a similar incident.

Dennis Brooks, senior communications strategist with the police force, said there were four reports of injuries from illegal gun salutes.

“I handled a case in Smokey Vale with a bullet through a windscreen. That happens quite often. Bullet in bonnet, roof, windscreen, etc,” Brooks said.

Despite the warning from the police and targeted patrolling, explosions were heard across several communities at midnight and after to ring in the New Year.

Last year The Gleaner reported that a child, who is a sickle cell patient, was shot while sleeping at his Nelson Road home in Kingston.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com