Shock, grief in wake of Robins Bay triple murder

Lorraine Narine was at a grave digging in St Mary yesterday when she was jolted by a loud sound and given the news no mother wants to hear – her son had been shot.

Her son, 22-year-old Sazaree Clarke, whom she described as a “mama’s boy”, was shot and killed along with 60-year-old bar owner Marlon James and 42-year-old mason Peter John Fagan, all of Robins Bay.

Narine had earlier stopped at the bar on her way to the grave digging, where she looked for Clarke but did not see him. She said she saw two of the men who would later be killed and recalled that the bar owner had called out to her before she continued on her way.

Then, while at the grave digging, Narine heard what sounded like a car muffler before persons alerted her to the devastating news.

She was told that Clarke, also known as Joel, had been shot inside the bar.

Narine said she ran back to the scene.

“An mi run and mi run, and mi reach there, mi drop down two times,” she recalled while fighting back tears.

“Mi caa sit dung, the sun a bun mi and mi thirsty and mi can’t drink water. So bwoy, mi nuh know how mi ago manage when mi go over all tinite cause him a mama pickney,” she said while sniffling.

Narine described Clarke as a quiet young man and insisted that he was not involved in wrongdoing.

“My son a no wrong doer,” she said.

She said Clarke was known to police officers in the area and maintained that he was not a troublemaker.

“Mi know my son. I can speak for my son. Him neva down to Mr Angi, the officer can’t tell you about him.

“When everybody gone, him left me, him deh wid me, him cook fi me,” she said, while sniffling through tears.

Narine also recalled that, at the time of the shooting, Clarke had been recovering from a bicycle accident and had a pin in his hand, along with 21 stitches in his head.

She also described the other two men, including the younger one, who was her cousin, as innocent people who were not troublemakers.

The shooting occurred about 4:40 p.m., according to reports from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s communication arm.

UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS

Police said gunmen travelling in a motor vehicle entered the bar and opened fire on the bar operator and a patron who were inside.

A third man, who was outside the establishment, was also shot as the gunmen left the scene.

The three injured men were taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

The gunmen reportedly fled the area after the shooting.

The killings have left the rural Robins Bay community in shock and grief.

Asked how residents were feeling, Narine said, “We have some of them wey feel dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, because they know people dem no gi trouble.”

“Everybody surprised. The place dig up differently,” she said.

Members of the Major Investigation Division are investigating the matter.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com