The mood in Denham Town, West Kingston, has been heavy all week, as grief hangs over Oxford Street, where 48-year-old businesswoman Wallata Brown was killed in her home last Sunday.
Brown’s death has left a void that many say cannot be filled. One of Brown’s sons described her as a community mother, as her influence reached far beyond her own household. “She was a very responsible mother, not just to me and my siblings, but to all the youth dem in the community,” he told the Jamaica Star.
Brown has several children, and they were gathered outside, their faces marked by sorrow, when the media visited their residence on Thursday. The unidentified son attempted to convey the magnitude of his mother’s role. “Every yute weh yuh see right yah so, a she responsible for dem as dem grow in her hands,” he added.
The media also spoke to Brown’s mother, Hyacinth Williams, who found the tragedy unbearable. Tears were streaming down her face when she spoke of a daughter who had been her strength. “Everybody love mi daughter and she was very responsible. She wasn’t a talkative person but the whole community love her. Mi did a work at a place and mi foot get sick and a mi daughter and father God make mi stand up here suh because she take care of me. Wallata was my hands and foot. All now mi can’t stop cry,,” Williams shared, her voice breaking.
Brown was killed after a gunman entered her home around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, per police reports. Following the attack, she was quickly taken to the Kingston Public Hospital. However, she succumbed to her injuries.
Police later managed to intercept a vehicle connected to the murder. Reports say the getaway vehicle was pulled over in St Thomas. One individual was inside the vehicle, and the suspect was immediately apprehended. No one has been formally charged as yet for the murder.