ST JAMES, Jamaica — The Cornwall College family was plunged into mourning on Thursday with the news that student Dane Buckley, a member of the school’s daCosta Cup football team, succumbed to injuries he received in a drive-by shooting incident in his Blood Lane community in late April.

The 18-year-old had represented Cornwall College in both Under-16 and daCosta Cup football over the past three years and was expected to return for his final year of eligibility when the 2024 schoolboy football season kicks off in September.

The former Chetwood Primary student had enrolled in the Mt Pleasant Football Academy in St Ann before returning home in 2021 to attend Cornwall College.

The attacking midfielder, who was one of the first names on the team lists, ended the 2022 season early after he broke his leg but returned last year to play a big role in his team qualifying for the quarterfinals of both the daCosta Cup and Ben Francis KO competitions.

— Paul A Reid