Never going back Kidd Lane horror forces woman to leave birthplace behind

Except for a few men who were loading furniture onto a moving truck, there were hardly any males in sight on Kidd Lane, St Andrew, as the space that once echoed with laughter is now crumbling under the weight of fear.

A little girl stood among the rubble in the yard where two women – Lashane Ellis, 30, and Kimeisha Gibson, 39, along with Ellis’ one-year-old son Kaheel Daley – were murdered on Friday night. As the girl played with what remained of the police’s caution tape, other children sat on the roadside under the watchful eyes of their loved ones. On Friday, armed men went to the home of Ellis and Kaheel, opened fire and set the dwelling ablaze. Before fleeing, the gunmen reportedly opened fire on a neighbouring house, killing Gibson.

Among the movers are Ellis’s mother, Nastasha Hall. A piece of cloth is tied tightly around her waist, which signifies a mother in mourning.

“I didn’t sleep much last night (Saturday). I keep seeing her in my dreams so mi jump up every minute. Every minute I hear her voice a beg mi to throw water on her house while she and mi grandson a burn up. I can’t sleep,” Hall said.

If losing her daughter and grandson were not enough, Hall said she is also relocating from the house she has called home for the past five decades. She told THE STAR that not only is she fearful, but the memories of Kidd Lane are too haunting for her to remain there.

“Is here suh mi born and grow and mi a 52, but I am not coming back around here. I don’t even know if mi ago rent out the house because I wouldn’t know how I would get that rent because mi nah come back. Mi ago start over back mi life but mi daughter not gonna be in it. Mi gonna have to cremate she and mi grandson because dem dun burn up already,” she said as she leaned against a wall for support.

Like the grieving mother, another relative of the family said she too has not rested well since Friday night.

“I can’t sleep and mi pressure high. Fi know say Friday we deh here happy and now everybody just gone suh is terrible. Life just change in a couple of minutes. The only reason why we don’t feel too fraid is because the police nuh leave us out from it happen, but what ago happen after dem gone?” she said.

On Saturday evening, one of the suspects in the deadly gun and arson attack surrendered to the police in the company of a relative. The man was being questioned by the police according to Assistant Commissioner Michael Phipps, commanding officer for the police’s Area Four. On Saturday, a man was fatally shot by the police during an operation on Wellington Road in search of the men responsible for the killings. An assault rifle along with ammunition was reportedly recovered.

Meanwhile, Hear The Children’s Cry (HTCC) yesterday condemned the triple murder, and urged swift and effective action on the part of the police in apprehending the culprits.

“Yet another precious child, and two women have been heartlessly sacrificed, in yet another senseless, depraved act of wanton violence, a situation which Jamaica cannot tolerate. HTCC condemns this vicious act of violence,” said HTCC board member Nigel Cooper.

“We are calling for the security forces to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice. We are also calling for the death penalty to be on the table as judgement is passed on them,” he added. Cooper and senior attorney at law and HTCC spokesperson Priscilla Duhaney also offered the organisation’s deepest sympathy to the families of the deceased.