Fear, sadness grip Bellas Gate as ‘hero’, alleged gunman killed in failed bar robbery
Published:Thursday | September 26, 2024 | 12:10 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Residents of Bellas Gate in St Catherine are living in fear of retaliation from the cronies of an alleged gunman who was killed following what has been described as a deadly robbery attempt at a local bar.
The incident unfolded Tuesday night when 20-year-old farmer Jam-mani Letts confronted the alleged gunman, Odane Jeminson, who the residents said entered the bar with the intent to rob. Letts was shot during a struggle with Jeminson.
Other patrons subsequently intervened, subdued Jeminson, and chopped him multiple times. Letts was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Yesterday, there was a sombre mood in the area and, when The Gleaner visited, some residents had lit a fire at the spot where Letts was shot, describing it as a burnt sacrifice in his honour.
The bar’s owner, who had just left the establishment before the attack, hailed Letts as a hero for preventing what he believes could have been a mass killing.
“He is a saviour. If it wasn’t for him, a lot of people in the bar would die. He is a good youth who never gets into any problem with no one. It is sad to know that he had to go like that,” she said.
Residents said Jeminson had been terrorising the area with accomplices for some time, but fear had prevented them from reporting his activities to the police.
“Everybody in Bellas Gate know that he walks around with his gun, but they fear for their lives so they have not reported it to the police,” the bar owner said.
Letts’ mother, Maxine James, was inconsolable, describing her son as a decent young man who always listened to her.
“He is my youngest, and the only place you would find him if he is not helping out at the bar is at his brother’s yard or mine. I can’t feel anything right now, just can’t come to it that them kill mi pickney,” she said tearfully.
Community members, along with People’s National Party representative Locksley Francis, gathered to console Letts’ family. Francis, who praised Letts for being hard-working and beloved by the community, called for law enforcement to protect the community as the fears of retaliation mount.