Norris Farquharson, the man fatally shot in the head in a recently viral video, was slain by someone he once called a friend. The revelation that the deceased and the shooter were far from strangers came on Thursday morning.
Residents of Tavern Avenue in Papine, St Andrew, told a local news outlet that the two have argued in the past. On Tuesday, the two men were arguing again when the accused pulled the trigger. While the nature of their last argument remains unknown, no one thought that Farquharson’s friend would shoot him twice in the head, killing the patriarch of the Farquharson family.
The family is no stranger to grief, but the past few weeks have been more than any family should bear. What began with the tragic death of a son has spiralled into a series of heartbreaking losses that include the death of an aunt days later and then the passing of a cousin. Now the family are crying over the loss of Norris Farquharson, who is known as a hard worker and described as a jack of all trades.
One of his daughters, Otafia Farquharson, recalled the memories of her father during an interview with the Jamaica Star. Farquharson, who built their home, had spent years working hard as a construction worker and entrepreneur. His daughter said he ensured his family would never have to rely on anyone else.
The family had celebrated Farquharson’s birthday just days before his death. Otafia told the media that her father died before he could witness the birth of his grandchild. Farquharson was shot and killed in the lane. Otafia said the two were once friends, and her father had even welded a vault for the suspect to keep his firearm in a secure location.
Surveillance footage from the morning of Norris Farquharson’s death shows him and the suspect standing in the lane. However, the suspect tells him to get off his property, prompting Norris to say they are not standing on his land. During the dispute, Norris dares the suspect to either hit him or withdraw his gun, which the suspect does and opens fire.
In the video, the suspect claims Farquharson had a knife, suggesting self-defence, but Farquharson’s daughter denies this claim. She told the media her father had a tablet, indicating that the self-defence allegation was false. She demanded justice for her father, who was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The man is now in police custody, with investigations ongoing.