Allman Town wants closure to boy’s murder
An old woman who appeared to be in her late 60s, fought hard to hide her grief as she closely inspected the picture of a child posted on the old wooden gate in Allman Town, Kingston last week.
The senior citizen stood motionless as she admired the laminated photograph that showed Rushane Burford, the four-year-old child who was chased and shot several times by a gunman in the volatile community in late January.
The look of gloom crept across the face of the woman as she read the statement at the end of the photo, ‘gone too soon’.
Last Wednesday, family members and friends from the volatile community said that they were angry that close to six months had passed and they were yet to hear from the police regarding the death of their loved one.
“We angry we need some answers. Almost six months pass and all now we still don’t hear anything positive in the case,” one relative told the Jamaica Observer.
Police reports are that in January, relatives of the boy had a disagreement with Marlon Omar McMillian, who goes by the alias Chris, ‘Truthy’, and ‘Shootie, over the use of a manhole.
During an altercation, reports are that the accused left the area, returned with a firearm and shot at family members.
Rushane, who was getting ready to attend the Salvation Army basic school on Prince of Wales Street, was shot in the head by the gunman who escaped from the area.
The boy’s grandmother was also shot and injured.
The male relative made the statement from behind the corrugated zinc fence that lined the walls of the humble wooden structure which he calls home.
“Imagine we hear about cases where people of higher class are attacked and the matter is solved in less than a day, so we want to know what is happening for our loved one,” said another relative.
The relative and residents who made the comments all asked not to be named, as they feared that they could become the targets of attacks.
Police have since dismissed suggestions made by relatives, and have sought to assure people close to the case that the authorities were doing all that they could to bring closure to the matter.
“The police are at this time investigating the matter and will continue to do so until the matter is brought to a close,” said an investigator at the Central Police Station.