MONTEGO BAY, St James — Residents of Montego West Village were on Monday struggling to cope with the death of Latoya Stephenson who was fatally shot Saturday night during an attack on Reading main road in St James that left her cop husband and young son injured. There was also grief at Chukka Caribbean Adventures where she was human resources business partner.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting of our colleague, Latoya Stephenson, and members of her family,” Chukka Executive Deputy Chairman John Byles told the Jamaica Observer.

“Our team is devastated. This senseless act of violence is the type of crime we must work together to eradicate from our country forever,” he added.

Byles noted that while the incident came at a time when major crimes are trending down, it is a reminder that “more must be done”.

“As a people, we must commit to staying the course with our crime fighters, making a change in how we work together with the focus on the crime-free society we want, and being part of the change ourselves, so that such tragedies never occur again,” Byles insisted.

Tears of grief have been flowing freely inside the gated community in which Stephenson lived with her family. She was an active member of the citizens’ association whose other members spoke glowingly of her and the void her death has left.

“We’ve literally been crying from yesterday morning. Yesterday we had our football event and we had a moment of silence for her,” one association member told the Jamaica Observer Monday.

None of the residents interviewed wished to be identified by name.

“It’s been just tears, couldn’t be held back,” the woman added.

According to association members, Stephenson — who lived in the community for more than five years with her spouse and child — was part of the board’s event, planning and fund-raising committee and was regularly seen around the community centre.

“She utilises our park every so often because she exercises there, she takes her son there; everybody would see her, she would walk with different persons,” said an association member.

“One of my neighbours, she would be walking with that neighbour and he’s distraught. When you see a man crying, yesterday, when I called him and advised him of the death,” she continued.

The attack on the family, she said, has touched everyone in the community — whether they knew Stephenson or not — because it feels so close to home.

“It’s a really sad day for us because she’s someone that we worked with, so we are pretty shaken by the entire ordeal,” one association member said.

She also sought to provide insight into the life of the 36-year-old woman.

“She was a quiet person, she is a very willing person, she gets along well with everyone. She has a calm spirit, she normally takes her walk in the community centre around the jogging trail, she’s always with her son,” she pointed out.

The community has sought solace in prayer.

“We are a praying community and that is the beauty about Montego West Village. We are a praying community and we have left it all with the Almighty, to be honest,” said one resident.

“We are praying for a resolution, we are praying for something to happen in terms of the conviction of the perpetrator. We are praying that the family will find a little ease, we know they won’t get over it any time soon because with death it takes time,” she continued.

Encouragement is also being offered for Stephenson’s son and spouse who are receiving medical care.

“We’re praying, the entire community is praying for both the young boy and his dad. We’re really hoping that they pull through,” said an association member.

According to the police, two suspects in Saturday night’s attack were killed during alleged confrontations with the security forces Monday morning. One of the deceased is said to be Andre Reid, otherwise called ‘Likkle Zullu’, the leader of the Top Junglist/Katan Defence Force (KDF) Gang based in Catherine Mount, St James.

It is understood that about 5:00 am, police were on an intelligence-driven operation in Shooters Hill, St Andrew, when they were fired upon by Reid. The cops reportedly returned fire and Reid was shot. He was transported to Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. An AK47 assault rifle, with a magazine affixed and containing five rounds, was reportedly seized. The other suspect, who remains unidentified, was reportedly killed during a police operation in St James. Observer sources indicate that police believe Reid was the mastermind behind Saturday evening’s gun attack on the family.

STEPHENSON… was a quiet person who got along well with everyone