Murdered soldier’s friends starting foundation to turn youth away from crime

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS

Observer staff reporter

matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com

Friends of Vaughn Moore, the soldier who was gunned down in the volatile community of Central Village earlier this year, are moving to launch a foundation to honour the life and work of the man who gave more than 15 years of service to his country.

“The foundation will seek to target youth in inner-city communities who are involved in a life of crime,” Owen Smith, Moore’s lifelong friend, told the Jamaica Observer over the weekend.

Smith said that Moore, who was also property manager at Devon House, was a person who would always put service above self.

He said the members of foundation hope to encourage youngsters who are armed with guns to hand them in to the authorities.

“In return, we are seeking to put up funds to get the carriers of these destructive weapons enrolled in various educational programmes. It is like a gun amnesty, but our aim is to not just call for the guns, we are seeking to make a change in the lives of those carrying the guns,” said Smith, who is the manger of the Jamaica Observer’s Transport Department.

Police report that on May 20 Moore was shot dead by gunmen in the community where he grew up. He had returned to the area to visit his mother.

Smith said Moore was the kind of person who always tried to help youth, especially those in his community.

“He was a hero, a leader both at community level and national level,” said Smith. “He was a disciplinarian who was willing to go the extra mile to help others.”

Smith said this was why steps were being taken to make the VAMOS (Vaughn Al Martino Moore Our Son) Jamaica Foundation a reality.

“Discussions have started with representatives of the Jamaica Defence Force and other authorities about the initiative,” Smith said.

Meanwhile, police say they are still searching for the men responsible for Moore’s murder.

But family members, including Moore’s mother, Claudette Lloyd, say they are not pleased with the pace of the investigation.

“Right now, I just want closure to the case. My son was my all,” said Lloyd.

Other residents in the area say they, too, are concerned as they have heard very little about the investigation.

“We are concerned, we not hearing much on the probe into this matter. What makes it even worse is that criminals who are responsible for the attack are still wreaking havoc in the community,” said one source from the area.

The source said that Moore’s killers also took his firearm. It has not yet been recovered.

Moore’s funeral service will be held at Half-Way-Tree Seventh-Day Adventist Church tomorrow starting at 1:00 pm.

His remains will be interred at Briggs Park, the cemetery inside Up Park Camp, the Jamaica Defence Force headquarters in Kingston.

(pic — Vaughn Moore in happier times)

MOORE… was a disciplinarian who was willing to go the extra mile to help others

(TURN HEADER)

Family not satisfied with pace of probe into soldier’s murder