By Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

The lives of at least three young men now hang in the balance following the brutal murder of their 27-year-old boss and mentor, Rydell Johnson.

Johnson was killed last Sunday at a party in Line, located in the Sevens Road area of Clarendon. According to police reports, Johnson was killed about 12:50 a.m. on Sunday, when a gunman walked up to him and shot him in the face.

A budding entrepreneur, Johnson started OG Car Wash a little under a year ago, and employed three young men between the ages of 14 and 16. The business has been closed since Johnson's murder and no one seems to know if or when it will be reopened. All three are now dejected and unemployed.

To at least one of these youngsters, this job represented a chance for a better future, especially since at the age of 16 he was already a father. Along with the opportunity to earn some money, young Adrian also had what he believed was a father figure in Johnson.

Still dealing with the shocking news, he told THE STAR, "He was always caring. If im see yu wid yu face look down, im always a ask what a gwaan and always a tell yu dat it will be OK He was always there for me."

He also added that Johnson was a strong source of motivation and inspiration and explained, "While I was doing my CXC, im use to always tell mi seh mi mus mash dem up cause dat a di only way out. Im jus always uplift wi. If yu have a problem, im always there and if yu hungry im wi seh gwaan uppa yard fi mi dinner. Mi couldn't believe seh im dead, mi neva believe. A wen mi see him girlfriend mi believe."

Johnson's guidance

Losing his source of income has also been a harsh reality for Adrian. "I'm working at the car wash since it open. Mi wash car and clean car an dem ting deh. Mi use to go school half day and den work. While at school, I got a kid, so dis was like a source of income for me. Mi jus hopin dat it open back," he told THE STAR.

Chris, another 16-year-old who benefited from Johnson's guidance, echoed all of Adrian's sentiments. "Mi kinda a tek it good so far," he said, "but mi feel a way. Mi can't stop tink bout him caw mi miss him. Im woulda come in like a father figure to mi. Im teach mi everything mi know and im teach mi right from wrong. Im come in like a legend inna mi life."

While somewhat saddened by his loss of income, he is optimistic that the business will some day reopen. He told THE STAR that he has only been back to the car wash once since Johnson's death and said, "Mi go one time but it bring back memories so mi nuh really go back from dat."

Johnson's girlfriend Kadian Alcott, with whom he had been living for two years, is still trying to come to grips with his death. She told THE STAR, "He was at a party and dem jus gun him right down, right in him nose. It's just a shock to me. He's always looking out for others. We're all in shock. The entire community is in mourning. Everynight we have candlelight vigil, his pictures are up on every light post and all the taxi drivers have black flags on dem cars.

Alcott said Johnson's death was especially sad because his father died a year ago, and while the family was en route to his memorial, in June, they learnt of the death of one of Johnson's brothers.

Though admitting she has the strong support of her friends, she told THE STAR, "I'm feeling a lot of hurt now. It's very unreal. It's like I'm in denial. Him not in any trouble. You know sometimes people bad, he was friends with everybody. He was so good to the guys at the car wash. He helped them to get them bank book and them passport and those things. When I hear people talking about death, I never put his name in it." She, too, has no idea what the future holds for the car wash.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Kevin Golding of the May Pen police, told THE STAR, "We are getting a few leads and we're following up on them, but I'm not at liberty to disclose what they are now. We've been speaking to people in the area and we're hoping to make a breakthrough."