Shaovi Robinson, the Central Kingston man who was on Wednesday sentenced to life at hard labour for shooting a father who had moments earlier dropped off his son at school on Beeston Street in Kingston in 2017, is a member of a major gang in that space, according to a highly placed police source.

Additionally, the source said, “The accused in this matter is member of one the major gangs in Kingston Central. From investigations carried out, the deceased was murdered merely as a result of his affiliation to members of another major gang,” the police source with knowledge of the matter told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

Robinson, who is from a Beeston Street and Summerset Avenue address, had pleaded guilty in early March this year. He was sentenced before Supreme Court Judge Justice Leighton Pusey to 15 years’ imprisonment at hard labour for illegal possession of firearm and life imprisonment at hard labour for murder with eligibility for parole after serving 18 years and two months.

According to the facts of the case unveiled by prosecutors, the victim, Adrian Davis, on Tuesday March 28, 2017 was seen coming from the school located on Beeston Street where he had dropped off his son and was heading towards Wildman Street. Seconds later, explosions were heard and Robinson was seen with a gun in his hand hurrying away from the sidewalk where Davis fell. Robinson, it was said, fired two shots in the air and two more in a yard as he left the scene.

Davis was taken to Kingston Public Hospital and rushed into surgery. He, however, died eight days later. A post mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was due to a gunshot wound to the neck. Robinson was later named a person of interest in the murder.

Cops collared Robinson in the Franklyn Town area in June 2018. According to the police, upon being informed that he was wanted for the murder of Davis and cautioned, Robinson said, “Offica, a dem first mek afta mi, and a neva him mi wah kill, a him fren.”

Later, when questioned at Central Kingston CIB Office about why he killed Davis and not his friend who was the target, Robinson said, “Mi go fi kill him friend weh mek afta mi but a him mi see, so a him get it.”

Asked if he wished to give a statement in the presence of an attorney, he said, “Well, unnuh done hold me already and a me do it, so a nuh nutten dat.”

A caution statement was then recorded in the presence of two justices of the peace with Robinson saying, among other things, that he was looking for Davis’ friend “but nuh see him and mi ketch [Davis] a ball field and rest it pon him and mi put bout three, four pon him and mi come back pon di corner and mi fire bout three shot then mi go inna mi lane go put down mi gun”.

In a question and answer interview conducted that same day, Robinson was asked where he got his gun, if he knew Davis and whether, if he could go back in time, he would still have kill him. Robinson answered, “Mi wouldn’t kill him but a just life.”

Asked if he was sorry for murdering Davis, he said, “Yes, mi sorry ’cause mi can’t go back inna mi place and mi love mi place.”