Murdered Clarendon teen was a promising student, says principal
Published:Wednesday | February 12, 2020 | 12:18 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
Investigators in Clarendon are now probing the shooting death of a 14-year-old in Juno Crescent in the parish capital. According to police reports, about 12:15 a.m. on Saturday, armed men kicked open the door of the house in which Smith, a student of Lennon High School in the parish, and his family lived and opened fire.
Four family members, including a four-year-old, were at home at the time of the shooting and were also injured in the attack. They have since been treated and released.
Principal of Lennon High, Frederick Lattray, told The Gleaner that Smith was a promising student who was also a member of the cricket team.
“Jevaughn Smith was in the top stream in grade eight, very jovial, hard-working,” Lattray said.
A friend of the deceased teenager said that he last saw Jevaughn at a youth fellowship church activity on Friday night.
“All a we a have fun and me say sup’m to him and think him vex with me, but him end up come back ‘round a me yard and we talk. Him did want we go buy chips and me say me nuh want none, and that was the last,” he said.
The teenager said he believed that a case of mistaken identity led to his friend’s death.
“The community know him, him a good youth, everybody talk ‘bout him. Him go church, home, school, that’s all, so me nuh expect that. Might be a wrong sup’m dem come up with. Me feel hurt. Me never did a think ’bout fraid of death, but when me look say him a the same age as me, it make me ’fraid now,” he bemoaned.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
“It’s a cause for concern when children are being murdered in society. I am familiar with the family, they are very quiet people, so I really don’t know what could have caused this,” said councillor for the May Pen East division, Kenneth Davis.
“Juno Crescent is one of those communities that has been under the radar for quite some time, but of late it has been very peaceful, so I was really taken aback at the shooting.”
He noted that work is currently being done to improve the quality of life in May Pen. Davis said the reluctance of residents to share information with the police is a contributing factor to unsolved crimes.
Clarendon is one of six parishes currently under a state of public emergency.