ARMED men yesterday forced their way into a home at Bayshore Park in Harbour View, Eastern Kingston, shooting to death three people, and injuring an eight year-old girl.

The dead – Ivenora “Precious” Campbell, 47; her 27 year-old son Miguel Panton, and a visiting friend Everton Brown, 42, of 36 Everest Drive, Harbour View – were in the house at Lot 272 Balcon Avenue, in Bayshore Park, when the armed men forced themselves into the house at about 2:00 in the morning. They told the children to lie on a bed and demanded to see the adults in the home, according to a resident of the community.

“.Dem asked ‘where is di big ones’ and the children said only children were inside there, but ‘Precious’ closed a door and they heard,” said the resident. She said the gunmen then went to the room to which Campbell had closed the door, and sprayed the three with bullets.

She said the eight year-old girl, who has been hospitalised, was shot in the thigh as she ran and begged the armed men not to kill her mother Ivenora Campbell, a vendor in downtown Kingston.

Police at the crime scene said there were unconfirmed reports that Campbell used to live in Matthews Lane, but it was not immediately clear how long she had been living in Bayshore Park.

Detective Inspector Danilo McLeish said the police were collecting statements, but could not give any motive for the killings. He also could not say whether the murders were linked to Friday’s double murder in Matthews Lane, West Kingston, in which two men – Rodney Farquharson and Deighton Williams, alias “Scotchbrite” – both of Bayshore Park, were killed and burnt. In that killing, three possible motives were offered – guns, drugs and politics.

Farquharson’s christian name was Friday given by the police as Leroy, but a spokesman for the police said last night that his correct name is Rodney.

Yesterday morning relatives and residents who gathered outside the death scene at Lot 272 Balcon Avenue, Bayshore Park, were in shock as they discussed the triple murder.

“Mi nuh know from head to toe how dis happen,” said a man who grew up with Campbell. A daughter of the dead woman and sister of Panton, who was inside the house, sat, silent on the sidewalk, with bloodshot eyes and her head resting on one of her hands.

Adjacent to the Balcon Avenue home, loud cries came from the Christian Outreach Ministry, where Campbell was a member.

The teary-eyed members prayed for their deceased church sister and for their community. The leader prayed for God to “turn wicked hearts”.

One woman recalled that when the church, which is still under construction, was first opened, Campbell offered a connection to her house for them to receive electricity.

Another woman who could hardly be contained was taken outside by her church sisters. She chanted: “Have mercy God, have mercy!”

Superintendent Cornelius Walker of the Area 4 Police, who was among the senior cops at the crime scene, had a word for the criminals: “If people continue to shed innocent blood, their blood will be shed.”