A father who was shot alongside his children in Denham Town, Kingston, over the weekend has died at the hospital. His death marks two fatalities from the attack on Nelson Street, where gunmen opened fire at him and his family during a brazen home invasion.
Dead is Kiero Pinnock, who succumbed to injuries on Monday while undergoing treatment. His three-year-old son, Jace Pinnock, also known as “Zaza”, was the first victim killed in the attack early Saturday morning. Jace was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital moments after the incident.
The remaining victim and sole survivor of the attack is Pinnock’s eight-year-old son. The child was treated at the hospital for gunshot injuries before ultimately being released to his loved ones. At the time of the incident, the mother of the children, Ladonia Cunningham, was overcome with grief as she carried her three-year-old’s underwear with her along the street. The once-white underwear turned red from his blood and had multiple holes from the gunshots he sustained.
The inconsolable mother could be heard crying, “My baby was just three. What do you want with my babyfather? Jesus! Fada God! Only You. Only You. Look at my three-year-old white brief.”
The double killing has left residents and relatives reeling as they struggle to come to terms with the violent loss of both father and child. Cunningham said the family’s surviving children are left traumatised. Meanwhile, they have been receiving support from community members.
Following the incident, Cunningham and Member of Parliament for Kingston Western, Desmond McKenzie, visited the Edward Seaga Infant School, where her three-year-old was a student. McKenzie had condemned the violence and urged members of the public to stand together against crime in the area. At the school, he pledged to capture the gunmen who took the life of the innocent child.
Minister of National Security and Peace Horace Chang echoed similar sentiments, denouncing the shooting and calling on residents to report any information they have on the case to the police. He indicated that the child should not have been caught up in such senseless violence at a tender age when he should have been protected and loved. He described it as senseless and heartbreaking.
The Major Investigation Division is investigating the deadly attack, and police have identified two men, Juby and Romy, who they listed as persons of interest. The men, who were urged to report to the police, are allegedly members of the Scream Corner gang.