The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TEN-year-old Kenron Dean was looking forward to a fun movie night at his aunt’s house with his twin brother and cousins, but he’ll never again get the chance to enjoy something he loved doing after gunmen opened fire at his home, killing him Thursday night.

His aunt, Doneisha Sherman told the Tribune Friday that the sweet, energetic T G Glover Primary School student loved to play games and spend quality time with his family.

“Guppy was his nickname,” she said, tears streaming from her eyes. “He was in the fifth grade.

“He liked his belly, but he was sweet. Liked games. Loved his twin, of course, his cousins and his parents. He was sweet and a playful little boy.”

On the day he died, Ms Sherman said Kenron reminded her about a promise to host movie night for him and his relatives.

However, being busy at the time, Ms Sherman said she brushed it off, something she now regrets.

“The night before that, all of them slept by me and this was the most painful part for me because they was there and I said something to him but yesterday (Thursday) when I came from work, he came to the car and say ‘Doneisha, ain’t you say we gone have movie night?”

“And where I was in a rush and they been by me from the night before and I already tell them ‘I need a break from y’all, all y’all’. So, that bother me a lot. They was outside playing with the door open but when I left, they was inside the house (and) the door was closed but the (gunmen) had to do what they did with the door closed.”

An hour later, Ms Sherman said she received one of most shocking calls of her life, her nephew was dead.

Police said shortly after 9pm Thursday, they were called to the scene of a shooting at Finlayson Street and Bola Avenue in Bain Town, where four people — an adult male and three children whose ages range from seven to ten years old — were injured.

Emergency Medical Services were summoned and following their examination one of the juveniles, a 10-year-old boy was pronounced dead.

At the scene of the incident, Assistant Commissioner of Police Solomon Cash told reporters at the scene the remaining victims were taken to hospital and being treated for their injuries.

Kenron Dean is the country’s youngest murder victim for the year.

His twin brother and cousin – both minors – and uncle were injured during Thursday’s ordeal.

Police said the children’s mother and grandmother were in the house at the time of the shooting.

Kenron’s mother was inconsolable when The Tribune visited her house off Finlayson Street in Bain Town Friday morning and did not speak to this newspaper.

Relatives said they do not know the motive behind the shooting incident, but insisted it was not domestic-related.

Asked about the condition of the three victims, relatives did not have any additional information on the uncle, who is still believed to be in hospital.

However, they told The Tribune the two minors had been released from hospital, but have been left seriously shaken by Thursday’s horrific incidnet.

“Mentally, no one is okay, especially the twin because they saw the whole situation,” Ms Sherman told The Tribune.

“It ain’t playing with him right because he still hearing the gunshots when he closes his eyes. He’s screaming and saying he miss his brother who he supposed to do things with, so it’s a lot.

“It’s hard on the kids and the twin and (he’s) saying now he don’t want to live here so it’s a lot because different from my mummy and sister and then you have all the kids, to deal with. Who to start with? Where to start? What to say to them?”

The family wants justice for her nephew’s untimely death, saying those responsible deserve to be punished for taking the life of an innocent child.

“Ain’t no justifying taking the life of a child. You cancelled all his dreams, his goals. You shortened his life. Over what? Make it clear. Why would you come to a house where only women and children are known to live? Anybody who knows this house or who knows me or my sister, know we live here – women and children. I don’t get that.”

The shooting in Bain Town was one of two incidents that occurred within the span of about two hours Thursday night.

Around 10pm, police were called to a second homicide scene in Fox Hill, where they discovered the body of a man lying on the ground on Barger Lane with apparent gunshot wounds.

Officers said information reported to them was that the victim was standing outside in front of his home when he was approached by a gunman who fired shots in his direction before escaping.

The two killings on Thursday pushed the country’s homicide count to 26 for the year, according to this newspaper’s records. Anyone with information on any of these incidents is asked to call police at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).