Grief grips Scotts Pass after fatal bar shooting

“It better a mi dem did kill y’know,” the grieving son of 73-year-old Rainford Bailey lamented on Tuesday, struggling to reconcile himself to the brutal murder of his father in Scotts Pass, Clarendon, a day earlier.

Police reports indicate that about 7 p.m., Bailey and another man were sitting outside a shop in the community when a gunman approached them and opened fire. Both men were hit. The shopkeeper reportedly went outside to investigate and was also shot.

All three men were taken to the hospital, where Bailey succumbed to his injuries. The others were admitted.

Bailey’s son, who did not want his name published, said he could not fathom what might have prompted anyone to take his father’s life, insisting that he was never one to court trouble.

“All now mi nuh see wah dem kill mi daddy fah, y’know. My daddy nuh fi dead suh. It better him did sick and dead ‘cause mi cyaa see why dem kill my father,” he said, his voice waning.

He struggled to accept how his father, at an age when he should have been enjoying the quiet fruits of his later years, could have been caught up in anything that led to his tragic demise.

“Him cyaa in a mix-up at fi him age. If him neva in a mix-up in him early 30s or 40s, him nuh supposed to in a mix-up at 73. Mi nuh see where dis come from. From morning mi nuh eat. A the first day mi nuh feel hungry.”

The grief, however, extends far beyond the Bailey household. His death has reverberated throughout Scotts Pass, where residents described him as kind, decent, approachable, and particularly fond of the younger members of the community.

Councillor Godfrey Knight, who represents the Toll Gate Division, expressed shock at the killing, remembering Bailey as an industrious man whose cabinetmaking skills had earned him widespread respect.

“He was a hard worker, a very decent man, and a good cabinetmaker. He was very great in his craft. He was very loved by the community,” Knight told The Gleaner.

Knight said that the attack has left residents anxious and uncertain about their safety, with a heavy, uneasy quiet settling over the area.

“The area is tense and quiet because people are afraid and wondering what’s next,” he said.

He urged residents to remain calm while the police proceed with their investigations.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com