Spring Village triple murder an act of ‘terrorism’ as grief grips community

The brazen and senseless gun attack also left six persons injured nursing gunshots wounds after hoodlums with high powered weapons went on a marauding rampage at a football match watched by an estimated crowd in excess of 300 spectators.

• Revelation behind Spring Village gun attack that leaves three dead

In the aftermath of such barbaric act a traumatised people is left to ponder what’s next 10 months on after the brutal slaying of elderly sisters Christine and Lola Lewis.

“What happened is next to terrorism,” said Randy Finnikin, convener of Citizens Action Against Crime (CAAC), a local civic group based here in Old Harbour. 

“It’s not being handled properly by the community,” he added. “The community just doesn’t know how to treat with this. The family in particular, which is the Squire family, is a tightly knit family. Mother Junie and her daughters, sister, brothers, they are traumatised.”

Jerome Squire, alias ‘Coolie’ and his niece Shasha-Gay ‘Tamara’ Eubanks are among the trio killed. But by all accounts it is the death of Eubanks that has rocked the family and the community hardest. Her uncle was no Saint and according to the police was the main target of the attackers after he failed to return an illegal gun. The other man killed has been identified as Rajay Wilson otherwise called ‘Curry’ who also resides in the same tenement yard with those killed and is a close confederate of Squire.

Since the incident occurred yesterday about five o’clock in the evening it has been a period of painstaking unrest for the family in particular and that of the community in general.

Two members of the Squire family had to be rushed to the hospital to seek medical treatment as the traumatic experience took a toll on their health. And by the time a team of police officers, church leaders and politicians assembled at the home of the deceased family, Natalie Eubanks, an elder sister of Sasha-Gay, had to be whisked away to a medical facility after suffering an asthma attack while she caused by her incessant and uncontrollable weeping. 

“The entire community is struggling,” said Finnikin, a renowned and respected community figure who heads the Spring Village Development Foundation.

Most of those injured, along with the deceased, are employees at The Best Dressed Chicken factory located in the community. Approximately 20 co-workers, all dressed in full black, made a slow entrance onto the premises almost like a funeral procession, their grief-stricken faces adding to an already somber mood.

“This is just senseless. The children are traumatised too. Tamara son CJ, he took a chair and just sat over his mother’s body,” said Finnikin, as he struggles to make sense of the whole situation.

“This need some long term support to the family and to the community if it’s necessary.

“From my standpoint I am trying to interpret it all. There is a bigger message that the criminals are trying to send and as community developers, we must come together and see how we can do something that will help to bring some healing and at the same time put measures in place to build a safer environment going forward because the peace has been shattered.”

A tearful Treacha Reid, who leads the South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce, was among the influential personalities offering support to the family.

She later told Old Harbour News that the business community has committed resource to help the family heal during this most difficult period of unhappiness.

“Following discussion with our membership I can tell you that Thomas Medical has made their offices available and will offer free counselling and health check-ups to the grieving family,” Reid disclosed to Old Harbour News. “What transpired yesterday is extremely difficult for any human being to cope with, hence we believe that anything we can do to assist those who are unable to overcome this tragic loss, is worth trying at the very least.”

Counsellor candidate for the People’s National Party (PNP) St Catherine South Western Church Pen Division Natalie Ho said it’s a sad day for the community, and is calling for the restoration of a neighbourhood watch group and the installation of CCTV cameras.

She said: “It breaks my heart to see my fellow citizens being slaughtered, murdered on the very grounds we walk on. This sporting event is a family event, football is a sport that brings us together as a nation and this is something that we celebrate. What I would like to see in the future is to make sure you involve the Jamaica Constabulary Force, make sure security personnel are there. I spoke with some of the family members and I could see the pain, I could feel the anguish inside their voices.”

The security forces have maintain a presence in the community since the tragic killing, but ultimately the people of this usually vibrant space must now decide on a longer plan that will deter a such heinous acts like yesterday from becoming all too frequent.