‘Mi bredda never deserve this’ - Tears and shock rock Waltham after mass shooting

November 27, 2024
The scene of Monday night’s shooting in which four men were killed at the intersection of Ayrishire Avenue and Waltham Park Road. Another man was killed nearby.
The scene of Monday night’s shooting in which four men were killed at the intersection of Ayrishire Avenue and Waltham Park Road. Another man was killed nearby.
This window was hit by one of the bullets.
This window was hit by one of the bullets.
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Shortly after seeing his brother's bullet-riddled body sprawled along the roadway on Monday evening, Fitzroy Watkis fainted.

Just minutes before that, he had heard a barrage of explosions but had no idea that several of the bullets were being pumped mercilessly into the head and face of his younger sibling, Robert 'Chicken Back' Henry. The 48-year-old is one of four men who were killed outside a bar and restaurant along Waltham Avenue. Minutes earlier, gunmen killed another man on 77 Lane, which is about two minutes away from where the four men were murdered.

"Mi over mi yard and a take off mi clothes fi go bathe and mi hear bare shot, suh mi have to put on back mi pants. When it cool down, mi hear dem a say 'Chicken', and mi say 'Mi bredda', and mi go over there ... when mi see how dem mash up mi bredda face, mi just don't know nothing else. Mi bredda a big man and him never deserve dis. Dem kill mi bredda," Watkis said.

According to police reports, about 7:50 p.m., the men were at an establishment along Waltham Park Road when thugs armed with high-powered rifles approached them and opened gunfire hitting them before escaping. The police were summoned and on their arrival, five men were seen lying along the roadway. They were transported to hospital where four of them were pronounced dead and another hospitalised.

Standing across the road from where his sibling took his last breath, Watkis appeared broken and distraught. His eyes were swollen from crying and he questioned why anyone would target Henry, who he described as a hard worker and a friendly individual.

"Him work with the lady who have the restaurant so him would buy groceries for her and do just about any little thing. Sometimes him would get a little site work and ting. Mi bredda was a nice little man, him nuh trouble people. Him just bun him cigarette, drink him rum and work. When war a gwan mi bredda walk go anywhere," he said.

"Mi don't know why dem come kill mi bredda and him don't inna nuh war with anybody. Over the restaurant a him regular spot because him work over there. My brother just hail people and go tru. All now mi can't believe all of this happened," Watkis added.

Images from the crime scene were stomach turning. Brain matter was partially buried underneath a small pile of sand while human teeth and chipped bones were observed in curdled blood. A resident told THE STAR that the deceased men were innocent and hard-working individuals.

"Mi don't know one a dem but a right here suh dem man deh play dem dominoes before dem go home a night time. Everyone know dem and dem don't involve inna war. A walk di gunman dem just walk come to dem and shoot dem and run off back," the resident said.

Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, who visited the space yesterday, said he will be leaving no stones unturned until those responsible are brought to justice.

"We will be very strident in our response to this particular incident and I am told that the victims are non-combatants and are innocent citizens playing a game of dominoes which everyone should be able to do," Blake said.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, along with Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, also walked the area where both incidents transpired. Holness stated that while they have managed to degrade and eradicate many gangs, there are others who continue to carry out violent activities.

"One thing that we can be certain of is that gangs have access to weapons. They use them to exercise control over territories, illegal activities and ultimately, they use them to inflict harm, violence and death. They use armed violence to exercise control over geographical areas. They use them to spread fear and one thing that would come out of this is fear in the communities that adjoin this area," he said. The prime minister also announced that a $25 million reward fund which was set up following the Cherry Tree Lane mass shooting in Clarendon has been increased to $30 million. Holness said the fund is being repurposed to offer rewards for information on incidents involving multiple killings.

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