8-y-o victim of Cherry Tree Lane massacre remembered as intelligent and outspoken

Aiden Bartley, the 8-year-old boy who was among eight people killed in the Cherry Tree Lane massacre in Four Paths, Clarendon, was today remembered by his family as intelligent, outspoken, and remarkably brilliant.

Aiden's aunt, Nardica Phillips, delivered a heartfelt remembrance at his funeral on Saturday at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Four Paths.

Phillips told the gathering that they shared a special bond and that he was like a son.

She shared with the congregation his aspiration of becoming a soldier.

With the hint of a smile, she noted that Aiden had already mastered the stoic demeanour, often sporting a serious face that left a lasting impression.

Phillips recalled Aiden's encounter with members of the Jamaica Defence Force in his community, sharing, "On one occasion, they stopped and engaged in a conversation with him and even placed him in the back of the jeep – [his] best day ever.

"He was very passionate about becoming a soldier in the future. Whenever he saw soldiers passing by he would shout 'Soljie!' They would wave, and he waved back, and he'd say, 'Yeah man ah my friend that'," Phillips added, evoking laughter among the congregants.

Sub-officer in charge of the Community Safety and Security Branch Police Area 3 Sergeant Dean Clover, in his tribute, urged parents to instill discipline in their children and refrain from condoning their wrongdoings, stating, "because those who committed the crime are children of others and as parents, we need to understand that if it continues, at some point, we are going to cry as well."

For his part, Aiden's cousin Romaine Morris, who is the councillor for the Mocho division in Clarendon North Central, lamented Jamaica's broken systems which he said contributed to the heinous crime, which saw nine other persons being injured.

"They say I'm part of the system, and the system failed my family," Morris said, his voice waning as he spoke.

"How could I be part of a system [and I'm] seeing my cousin [Aiden's mom] crying, and my little cousin [Aiden] in a casket?" he questioned.

Little Aiden was interred at his family plot in Four Paths.

- Olivia Brown

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