WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— There is a sombre mood in the community of Red Gate close to Cave district in Westmoreland as residents are struggling to come to terms with the death of Chef supervisor Rohan ‘Tumpa’ Simpson who was gunned down in front of a popular resort in Negril, on Monday night.

Reports are that the 48-year-old had just left work at the resort at the time of the incident.

“Him is a quiet person who doesn’t keep company. Him just work and come in. The only time I see him is when him going work,” one resident from the community told Observer Online, speaking on condition of anonymity on Wednesday morning.

“Mi feel shock to know something like this happen to ‘Tumpa’. Why things happen to the quiet people? Him don’t idle and he’s no troublemaker,” the man lamented.

Donald Simpson, Rohan’s cousin, said he became worried when he did not get home at his usual time, and feared something had gone wrong.

“I realise I called his phone and mi nuh get him, suh mi call him sister and mi hear him sister a cry,” the grief-stricken cousin said as he fought to hold back tears.

The 62-year-old man said he raised the now-deceased as his son, and is saddened by his gruesome death.

“He’s a jovial person, him guh out guh work and him come in and when a him day off, sometimes him stay in and sometimes him just guh and hang with his friends,” the distraught cousin said of the chef supervisor who many described as hardworking.

Another resident said: “The community shaken up man, everybody bawl. A good yute, him see and blind hear and deaf. Me and him grow like brother. When mi hear inna the 10 o’clock mi couldn’t sleep. Everybody came out the Monday night and a wonder if a really Tumpa”.

The police have not given a motive for Simpson’s murder. However, a senior police source said his murder appears to be a ‘hit’.

Reports from the police are that about 10:20pm Simpson completed his shift and was entering his car when he was pounced upon by unknown assailants in a Toyota Axio.

The men then exited the vehicle and opened gunfire hitting him several times before fleeing the scene.

The now-deceased was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Investigations are ongoing.

– Kimberley Peddie