POINT, St James — Stacy Ann Dunkley, mother of deceased Irwin High School student Raneil Plummer, says if the school had acted on a complaint made by her son on Thursday he would be alive.

Dunkley was speaking to reporters gathered in the living room of her house in Point, St James, on Friday morning as she fielded questions about the tragedy that has befallen her family.

In the meantime, the police reported Friday afternoon that the 14-year-old boy accused of the fatal stabbing of Raniel was taken by his parents to Granville Police Station where he was questioned by detectives. They said the investigations were going smoothly and promised to give an update as early as possible.

On Friday, Dunkley, clad in one of her son’s school shirts and on the brink of tears, said information about a report by her son to the school was conveyed to her following the incident.

“I always tell him when something happens at school with other kids to find an adult, find a teacher, find a counsellor, find somebody — and that is why he went to the lady yesterday and lodged a complaint [at] lunchtime. That’s what I heard,” she said.

She said the comment was made about the student, who it is alleged stabbed Raneil as he exited the school compound about 3:00 pm at the end of classes.

“In the lunchtime I heard that they draped him up, and that’s the time he went to the lady and made a report. But the lady didn’t do anything about it and so they lay wait him after school by the gate and stabbed him,” she said.

Pastor Hubert Dixon and Marva Faulknor (right) provide support for Stacy Ann Dunkley at her home, Friday.

The Jamaica Observer went to the school on Friday to get a response but was told that it wouldn’t be speaking on the matter at that time.

The school on Friday hosted counselling sessions for the students and staff, with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Youth in attendance.

Dunkley said up to Friday morning she had not been contacted by any official from the school.

“Last night [Thursday] when we were up by the Mount Salem Police Station, the dean of discipline came up there. But I haven’t heard anything else from no principal, I didn’t get a call from the school — no teacher, nobody,” she lamented.

In fact, the only call she said she got in relation to the incident was from the taxi operator who took her son to the hospital as he bled from the wound to his chest.

That was the last thing she expected to hear about her son after they parted in their usual manner on Thursday morning, as she left for work and he for school.

“He came into my room for his lunch money and he said, ‘Mommy have a wonderful day at work today’ and I said, ‘Have a wonderful day at school,’ and he left,” she said.

“Words cannot explain how I feel; I feel like I want to die,” said Dunkley.

“I don’t know how I’m going to manage without my son in this house. I don’t want to live in this house anymore because I cannot imagine living without Raneil. It’s like my heart; I’m breathing and I’m still alive but I’m dead — my heart comes out of my body,” she lamented.

What has left her even more devastated is that her son, she revealed, had indicated prior to the beginning of the school term that he wanted to change schools. But she explained that couldn’t be accommodated at the time.

“He said to me earlier this year that he wanted to move from Irwin, and I told him that September coming I will move him because I already paid the school fee of $10,500, so September I would move him,” she said.

Despite her deep sorrow she said that she now has to focus on her other four children, including a younger child who shares the same father with Raneil.

She described Raneil as a loving son, someone who was very helpful and was always there for her.

Raneil, said Dunkley, would just come and rub her head, or just come and “hug me up, and put his head on my shoulder” and ask if I am alright, she said.

Now she is wondering what could have led to the fatal stabbing of her son.

Fifteen-year-old Raniel Plummer, a nine grade student of the St James-based institution, was stabbed to death on Thursday.

“I don’t know why somebody would want to kill my son; one stab in his heart means he want to kill mi son because the only way you want to stab somebody in his heart is when you want to kill him,” she said.

Raneil had high dreams of becoming a footballer and, according to Dunkley, it was something she said earned him the nickname Maestro.

“He loved football; he was on the football team over there. As a matter of fact, I think he was second in command on the football team,” she stated.

It was a sombre affair at Dunkley’s home as neighbours visited and offered support to the family. Among those present was the godmother for Raneil, Marva Faulknor, who said that the news came as a shock.

“He does not talk [a lot]; he is just a quiet child,Whenever he is at home, the only time you see him is when he rides the bicycle to my gate,” she said.

Pastor Hubert Dixon of Church of God in Jamaica, Summer Hill — who prayed for the family — said it must be especially rough on Dunkley, given that she is still mourning the loss of her brother who has not been buried as yet.