The brutal slaying of eight people in Four Path, Clarendon on Monday is a reminder for Evangelist Errol Rattray, that the heart of men is “desperately wicked”, but he insists the church has a responsibility to continue ministering to these hearts.
The brutal attack which also resulted in nine other persons being hospitalised sent shockwaves across the nation and plunged many in mourning. Evangelist Rattray believes the outcome could have been worse, considering that the gunmen fired indiscriminately at large gathering of persons during a birthday party in the community.
Evangelist Rattray, who has held several outreach events in the parish in conjunction with the church community there, believes the church has more work to do. Cognisant of the anger and emotions riding high from the incident, he said he empathises with and feels the pain of the families of the victims, but said the church cannot turn its back on the “bad elements”, but must continue praying and ministering.
“The church is the world’s hospital; it doesn’t matter how bad a person is, you cannot turn your back. If you have cancer, a doctor has to look after you, so we have to see how we can rescue them,” he shared in an interview with Freedom Come Rain.
It is for this reason that he is imploring the church to continue interacting—not just from the pulpit but in the communities as well.
“You notice the people who have done the killing are not women, you know; they are men,” he pointed out.
Evangelist Rattray said that hot off the heels of the country’s Emancipation and Independence celebration, he expected people to be at a point where they were “thinking more consciously.” The clergyman said he is disheartened by what unfolded.
“When people are desperate and they have not turned over [their life] to God, then what happened will happen. That’s why the church has to continue to share hope,” he pointed out, adding that the church cannot give up or let up and must still look to divine intervention.
Among the victim of the gruesome attack was a seven-year old child. Security officials say additional resources have been deployed to the affected areas to maintain order, provide support to the victims’ families and ensure the community’s safety.
Stacey Lalor Knowles, Vice Chaplain with the Jamaica Constabulary Force and also a resident pastor in Clarendon, said she was moved and shaken by the incident.
“I wouldn’t say angry, but certainly upset, deeply upset,” she noted.
The chaplaincy unit she informed, has been offering help and support to the police officers involved.
“Anywhere, anytime, our officers are deployed, are requested, and are instructed to respond to situations of this nature, the Chaplaincy Services Branch will always be there to give support because we know the psychological impact it can have on members,” she assured.
Commenting on the psychological impact, Lalor Knowles said that once you have members who are exposed, especially detectives and others who have to respond and be present at a crime scene, etc., it can lead to people becoming paranoid, even about their own family members.
“There’s a lot of trauma and psychological trauma that can, in fact, stay with a person who is constantly exposed to it. This is why it’s not just the irregular debriefing after such incidents; there are also other mechanisms put in place to mitigate against those impacts,” she stated.
She related that over time, constant exposure to situations such as Sunday night’s scene can impact members of the security forces in a variety of ways.
“It can lead to desensitisation; it can have traumatic effects on them to the point where they’re not able to compartmentalise properly—the whole matter of taking the job home with you. There are members who will tell you that having been on a crime scene, having seen the extent of gruesome killings, and so on, sometimes it stays with you,” Lalor Knowles said.
According to police report, a birthday party was being held at First Lady HQ Bar when a white Toyota Axio motor car with three men aboard drove up, and the occupants, who were armed with rifles and handguns, alighted and opened gunfire at the gathering. They then drove a little further into the Cherry Tree Lane community and opened gunfire at another gathering. When the shooting subsided, it was discovered that eight people were killed and nine were shot and injured.
Dead are Kavel Daley, 27 years old, cosmetologist; Lawrence Francis, 50 years old, construction worker; Diamond Bennett, 20 years old cashier; Aiden Bartley, 7 years old, student of Four Path Primary School; Errol Stewart, o/c “Wagga,” 68 years old, butcher; Courtney Messam, and a lady known only as “Margarete,” all of Cherry Lane, Four Path, Clarendon.
