THE Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has refused to accept or deny that friendly fire led to last week Friday’s shooting death of one of its soldiers, Private Ejay Domville, in Denham Town, Kingston.

At the time of his killing, Domville was posted at the Denham Town zone of special operations.

According to the police, around 1:25 am on Friday, August 23, Domville was part of a military team on foot patrol in the vicinity of Charles Street and Chestnut Lane when he was killed. The police said that soldiers were in pursuit of men who opened gunfire at them, which caused them to take evasive action and return fire.

At the end of the shooting, Domville was found with a gunshot wound to the face. The young soldier, who had been in the JDF for less than a year, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

His death sparked widespread speculations in the public sphere that he could have been shot by one of his colleagues. The swirling speculations, especially after Wednesday’s publication of a story by The Gleaner depicting the concerning views of Domville’s mother, Calisha Reynolds, prompted the JDF to issue a statement.

In the statement the JDF said it was conducting its own internal investigations to ensure all facts are uncovered and that it was fully cooperating with ongoing investigations by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom).

However, Indecom’s assistant commissioner Hamish Campbell said the investigating body was not probing the matter which he said was a murder.

“Indecom attended the scene because at the time there was discharge of firearm by the security forces, but no one was injured. We know where the soldier was shot and post-mortem will further support or add to that in terms of trajectory and direction but Indecom is not the investigating body for that,” Campbell told the Jamaica Observer.

In its statement on Wednesday, the JDF said: “We acknowledge the concerns raised by Pte Domville’s mother, Ms Calisha Reynolds, and we are committed to working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure they are addressed in a timely manner. Arrangements have been made to ensure Ms Reynolds is present at the autopsy, and we will maintain continuous communication to ensure she is informed throughout the process.

“The JDF also recognised the concerns expressed by the public regarding the possibility of Pte Domville’s death being the result of fratricide. We acknowledge that the complexity of a shooting engagement with threat force and split-second decision-making can increase its likelihood. However, our pre-deployment training is focused on minimising the risk of fratricide and ensuring the safety and well-being of our service members during a firefight,” the army said.

The JDF said Domville demonstrated exceptional bravery during the incident and that preliminary reports indicated that even after he fell and lost his helmet, “he swiftly got back up and continued to advance towards the threat”.

The military said it is committed to providing full support to the family as they navigate these challenging circumstances together.

In an interview with The Gleaner on Tuesday, Domville’s mother expressed hope that the autopsy, which was set to be done on Wednesday, would provide her with some answers. She said that she did not believe he was killed by criminals in a shootout.

She said that when she went to the Tranquility Funeral Home, where her son body is stored, she was told that she could not see the body because it was already identified.

The mother of two described Domville as her breadwinner.