Since December 29 last year, the lives of the relatives and friends of three elderly men have been on a downward spiral.

George Davidson, 54, and Esau Hunter, 50, were shot dead when armed men kicked down the doors of their houses in McKoy Lane, St Andrew and started firing. Joseph Allen, a 57-year-old labourer, bled to death after his throat was slit at the entrance to the community on Spanish Town Road, feet away from where the early morning shootings took place.

The killings have hit the impoverished community hard. The community has been under the gun since a gang feud erupted late last year between armed factions from sections of the community known as ‘Top Road’ and ‘Bottom Road’.

According to persons who live there, the attack on the three men marks the first time that senior citizens have been targeted by rival gunmen.

Now, days before their funerals – Saturday, Feb 9 and Sunday, Feb 10 – the relatives of Davidson and Hunter have called upon the Victim Support Unit (VSU) in a bid to come to grips with the tragic incidents.

The family members of both men were counselled by two members of the Victim Support Unit in a visit to the community on Monday. And although the incidents occurred weeks ago, the pain of losing a family member was still etched on the faces of the grieving relatives.

“It really hard. Every day it just gets worse, me can’t do anything without him,” Rita, Davidson’s younger sister said.

The 50-year-old woman has not eaten or slept since her brother’s death and her skinny frame serves as evidence to the fact. She has sunk into a deep state of depression and now smokes heavily in an attempt to ease her pain.

“I can’t sleep in this house,” she said. “Every time I come in here is like I see his body lying on the ground.”

Though the body is long gone, the horrific picture in Rita’s head comes alive with the gunshot holes in the tiles where her brother was said to have been murdered execution style.

But her grief extends beyond the evidence in the ill-fated house; she has to take care of her elderly parents who have fallen ill since the incident.

Her 70-year-old father has lost his ability to control his bladder and her 84-year-old mother has become mentally unstable.

“She call him in the mornings and when him don’t answer she start crying,” Rita said.

“I try to console her but sometimes she just cry more and start saying all sorts of things. Sometimes when she drift me try to comfort her but sometimes I have to just leave her till she come round ’cause she start making me cry too. Sometimes I wish I could just go somewhere and leave the memories behind.”

For Davidson’s 17-year-old son, who gave his name only as ‘Flagga’, the shocking reality of his father’s death gets more unbearable each day.

Unlike many of the children in the troubled community, Flagga knew his father, and had developed a relationship with him.

“The man them just come murder me father,” Flagga whispered, “Me just come see him lie down on the floor in pure blood. That day we were supposed to build some sound boxes outside…”

Hunter’s common-law wife, who wished not to be named, was also hopeless. She said she does not have the money to support her household.

Hunter was the bread-winner for their four children and an additional 10 grandchildren and since his death she is now faced with the challenge of providing for them on her own.

As the members of the VSU toured several other households in the community, it became evident that the healing process was far from over.

“What this family needs right now is a sense of closure,” Donald McFarlane, one of two members from the Victim Support Unit said. “Without a sense of closure it is harder for the family members to begin to heal. The funeral might be the start of the process.”

McFarlane however added that further visits would have to be made to the families as the funeral can also cause the conditions of the victims to worsen.