The Tribune

A 23-year-old mother of two who was to be married in July died in hospital shortly after she was shot multiple times early yesterday morning in front of her home in an incident that also left a man in critical condition.

The double shooting took place shortly after midnight in Nassau Village and brought the country’s murder count to 56 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

Police said the two victims were standing in a yard on Lee Street, when a gunman in a black vehicle fired multiple shots in their direction. The woman was shot multiple times in her body, while the man was shot in his neck and chest.

The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance where she died shortly after her arrival. The man attempted to drive himself to the hospital, but crashed his car in the area of East Street and Cordeaux Avenue. A passing motorist took the man to the Princess Margaret Hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Police have not identified the deceased but The Tribune understands she is Donnae Clarke, a former student of R M Bailey High School, who had recently given birth to her second child.

In an emotional post on Facebook, a woman who identified herself as Clarke’s sister, Ally Smith, said the young mother had spent some of her last moments running “for her life” and was allegedly shot “15 times” before collapsing in front of their home.

“She ran for her life and dropped and died right on our foundation. I came outside after the shots and saw her lying on the ground,” Ms Smith said.

“My sister took her last breath talking to me. She couldn’t even talk and I told her to stay for her child, to stay strong for her baby. It was not her time. She did not even have the strength to open her mouth, the spit was bubbling from her mouth. I watched my sister die. Her birthday is in two months and she was supposed to get married in July.

“I am hurting, my family is hurting. My sister got shot 15 times and I heard it not knowing it was Donnae,” she said. “Now thinking about it I can feel every one.”

Yesterday, Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash, of the Central Detective Unit, said police were able to get some information from the victims about the shooting.

“Police officers visited the Accident & Emergency and spoke with both victims at the time,” he said. “The female victim sometime in the early morning succumbed to those injuries, however in speaking with the male victim, we were able to ascertain that he was visiting a female friend during the incident when they were both accosted by a male gunman, wearing a ski mask, who opened fire on both of them. They ran and were subsequently taken to the hospital where the female (died from) those injuries.”

Anyone with information on this homicide is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.