The brazen daylight murder yesterday of John Brandon Murray sent shock waves throughout the local football and business communities and left many of the people who knew him speechless.

Murray, co-founder of Sporting Central Academy and a top land developer who rehabilitated many football fields, was gunned down as he left the Mayfair Hotel in St Andrew late evening.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communications Unit confirmed that the murder occurred about 4:45 pm. Murray, the police said, was walking from the hotel on West King’s House Road when men drove up in a white Toyota Probox and opened gunfire, hitting him several times.

Doctors pronounced the 48-year-old football administrator dead upon his arrival at Kingston Public Hospital.

Murray, who played football for Munro College and St George’s College, was heavily involved in the game and was tasked with developing several of the better fields across the country, among them Brancourt, Mount Pleasant Academy, Catherine Hall, the Jamaica Football Federation Centre of Excellence, Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, and Jacisera Park.

He was also a partner in the family-run Murray’s Fish and Jerk Hut in Clarendon, which in 2009 was nominated for the Jamaica Observer Business Leader Award.

Yesterday, Sport Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange described Murray as “a true son of the soil”.

“I knew Brandon very well. I was shocked when I heard that he was murdered earlier today (yesterday). He contributed to the development of football in Jamaica — himself a former player. He continued contributing as one of the best in sports infrastructure development,” Grange told the Observer.

“I’m really very sad about his untimely passing. He had so much more to contribute.

“I hope that those involved in his murder will be found and brought to justice swiftly.

“I pray for his family and loved ones at this time. Jamaica has lost a true son of the soil who was very passionate about the country,” Grange said.

Long-time friend Ainsley Lowe could not put his feelings into words when the Observer contacted him. Lowe could only manage to mutter, repeatedly, that Murray was his friend.

Veteran football administrator and Santos Football Club coach Carlton Dennis, who coached Murray and his brother Courtney while they attended St Andrew Preparatory School, searched for words while he spoke about the man he called his brother. Dennis described his relationship with Murray as “special”.

“Our relationship blossomed like a family relationship. Brandon didn’t come to Santos (FC), but we always had a special relationship. He was respectful; we moved like brothers,” Dennis said.

“Sometimes he would call me and say, ‘Coach, I’m coming to check on you.’ He would always check with me to see if I’m alright. I was close to his family,” Dennis stated.

He told the Observer that he saw Murray just over a week ago at a football match and that they both spoke about developing the field at Santos FC.

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘Coach, call me. I need to give you some fertiliser for Santos.’ He actually worked on the field for me. So we had a special relationship. When I heard today I was weakened by what I heard, because I don’t understand why we keep on losing good people,” Dennis lamented.

“I don’t know what to say. This one took its toll on me. So I have lost a friend, a good person, a person who has contributed a lot to sports in this country, both by his involvement with running a club and by field development. He will be missed,” Dennis stressed.

Dennis added that he has lost a lot of friends to the gun and called on Jamaicans to end the cycle of violence.

“What is happening? We need to stop; we need something to be done about it. The gun, the gun, the gun… What is going to happen? Today it’s Brandon; tomorrow it’s going to be somebody else,” he ended.