Teen’s killing threatens fragile peace in Trench Town
Published:Tuesday | September 6, 2022 | 12:10 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
The homecoming for an aunt turned tragic for 15-year-old Nevado ‘Teflon’ Maitland on Friday after a gunman on Fourth Street in Trench Town, Kingston, broke a truce and fired a single fatal round, which struck the unsuspecting teen.
His family told The Gleaner that the Tivoli Gardens High School student, who should have entered grade 10 when the new school year began yesterday, was not the intended target.
“When the shot fire, we never know nobody get shot. We think a inna the air the shot fire,” a relative said.
The resident said that although there had been a feud in the area for some time, tensions had been quelled and a sense of peace had engulfed the community. The shooting came as a shock.
“Is stray shot. It was like everybody was out here. Him aunty come back from foreign and dem a celebrate and him come out to meet him aunty … .
“It (bullet) come right through the gate and him (Nevado) sit down right here,” grandmother Winnifred Morris told The Gleaner.
The bullet pierced a metal gate and struck Maitland, who was among children seated at the front of his home.
“Him head mash up. Him nuh get to spend no time with his aunt. Him just start come a road. Him still young and act like eight or nine year old,” a relative said.
Relatives said Nevado was a playful child, who was very bright and business-minded.
“When mi brother a go work, him bring the two a dem (Nevado and his sister) behind him. Anywhere him a go, a di two of dem … ,” aunt Keneisha Murray said.
“Him mother said him call her and ask her if she alright and she tell him she alright, but she a ask, ‘Why Teflon a ask if mi alright?’”
Morris said she spoke to Nevado by phone hours before he was killed and he was excited that his aunt was visiting.
Morris also said Maitland’s father has been left heartbroken,
“Him bawl right through. Right through the night. Mi haffi a watch him … . Him grow them as them mother and father. Dem just kill off mi grandson so,” she said.
The residents believe the death could erode the gains made to achieve peace.
“The next man [being targeted by shooter] never have no gun. If that man did have a gun, more people would get shot,” one resident said, pointing to the possibility that there could have been more casualties.
Tivoli Gardens High Principal Marvin Johnson told The Gleaner that the Ministry of Education has pledged to send support from the guidance counselling unit.
“He (Nevado) is a very quiet young man who really tries hard. It’s unfortunate, and as a school community, we really don’t want to lose any of our students. We are, indeed, praying and bonding as a team,” Johnson told The Gleaner.
Johnson said the school will reach out to Maitland’s family to give support.
The police are aware of threats made to avenge the teen’s killing.
Head of the Kingston Western Police Division, Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, told our news team that cops are now keeping a close watch on the area.
The police have listed a man known as Desroy Walker, otherwise called ‘Shamar’, as a person of interest in the investigation. They are urging him to report to the Denham Town Police Station.