Cherry Tree Lane massacre suspects charged
Published:Thursday | August 22, 2024 | 12:11 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
One of the alleged shooters in the Cherry Tree Lane mass killing in Clarendon, which left eight persons dead, was reportedly arrested and charged after initially being told he was not a person of interest when he went to the police to clear his name, which had been bandied about by bloggers.
According to a source, Clarendon labourer, Dushane Smalling, turned himself in to the police last week Tuesday and was at first cleared by investigators in Clarendon who told him they had no interest in him. He however insisted that he be given something in writing and was sent to Kingston for investigators from the Major Investigations Division (MID) to provide him with “written clearance”.
After being taken to the MID, the 28-year-old Smalling, otherwise called ‘Snowman’ of North Street, May Pen in Clarendon, was charged and hauled before the Gun Court section of the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.
Attorney-at-law Kemar Robinson, who is representing the accused, declined to comment on the matter when contacted.
Smalling and another Clarendon resident, Leighton Whyte, 32, otherwise called ‘Bands’ of Havana Heights, both made their first appearances in court, charged with eight counts of murder, eight counts of shooting with intent, eight counts of wounding with the use of a firearm, possession of prohibited weapon, and authorised possession of ammunition.
An application for the matter to be transferred to the Home Circuit Court was made, and they are now scheduled to appear in the high court on September 16.
They are charged for the August 11 deaths of Aiden Bartley, 7; Roger Messam, 48; Margaret Bonner, 40; Cavel Daley, 26; Diamond Bennett, 20, a cashier; Errol Stewart, a 68-year-old butcher also known as ‘Wagga’; Jermaine Boothe, 33, also known as ‘Blacks’; and 50-year-old Lawrence Francis.
Birthday party
Reports are that on the day in question, about 8:45 p.m., the two accused men, along with Steve Smith, and other men, who were all armed with handguns, drove to the community, where a birthday party was being held, and fired at a group of persons.
The shooting left eight persons dead and nine injured, including a one-year-old infant.
Following the shooting, the three men reportedly left the scene in the motor car in which they had arrived.
Smith was subsequently killed in a shoot out with police.
Smalling was arrested after he turned himself in while Whyte was arrested while reporting as part of his bail condition.
Attorney-at-law Dwight Reece is representing Whyte.