RELATIVES of a Clarendon subcontractor, who was ambushed and killed at his home by a lone gunman on Sunday, say there had been talks of a plot to kill him after his friend was shot dead less than a week ago.
But they said 33-year-old Jason McLeod, who hailed from Palmer’s Cross in the parish, brushed aside the rumours and went about his business as he usually does.
McLeod, otherwise called ‘Father John’, and his common-law-wife arrived at their house at about 3:15 am after leaving a party in another community in the parish, when a gunman who had been hiding inside the yard pounced upon them and shot him several times.
McLeod’s partner managed to escape without injury.On Monday morning when the Jamaica Observer visited the family home on Hazard Drive where McLeod grew up, relatives were grieving over his death.
McLeod’s three brothers — Donovan, Barry and Antonio — said they were clueless as to why someone would want to kill him, as he was a very kind-hearted and fun-loving individual who was always looking out for the welfare of others.
“Right now mi in a shock. Mi nuh know what to say; all me know he is good person, him have treat fi de pickney dem every year, and him did all start plan [this year’ s own] already,” Donovan said.
According to Barry, who had been partying with McLeod before he was killed, the deejay at the party had just “big him up” and had announced his annul back-to-school-treat scheduled for August 27. McLeod’s eldest brother, Antonio, said: “We nuh know which part to start; we never know something like this would a happen to him.”
But both Barry and Donovan, while indicating that they were not aware of McLeod being involved in any dispute, pointed out that one of his closest friends was shot and killed last Monday in Palmer’s Cross while playing a game of dominoes at a shop and that there were talks that the friend was killed by accident, as the bullet was intended for McLeod.
According to Barry, McLeod was at the shop where his friend was minutes before the shooting and left after receiving a phone call. “The shooting happened in a broad daylight and people seh when the man shot Morris (McLeod’s friend) …him go over him and turn him over,” Barry pointed out.
Donovan, meanwhile, said he became worried about his brother when he heard the death rumours and warned him to be careful. However, he said McLeod just “laughed it off”. “Mi a wonder now how my brother hear something like that and nuh tek it serious,” he added.
McLeod’s companion, who is the mother of two of his three children, said she only became aware of the rumours after the killing. “When his friend was killed I heard that it was by mistake and that the person said that he would be back, but mi never did hear seh a him dem want kill,” she told the Observer.
According to her, McLeod probably decided not to share the information with her as he knew she would be worried. “To me it seems like him just give up,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “But him always seh him nah dead from no gunshot him jus’ ago die inna him sleep.”
When asked about the fateful night, she said it was the most traumatic experience of her life. She said it is difficult to come to terms with the fact that she could do nothing to prevent his death.
“In a time like this, fi know that you were there and you could not do anything, you just have to run and leave him, and him always a look out for me,” she said.
She said when she saw that someone was hiding in the yard on their return from the party, she told McLeod but he did nothing. She said while trying to tell him for a second time, the shooter pounced, shooting McLeod in the back before fleeing.
McLeod, she said, was a friendly and jovial person. “…Even him own enemy him friendly with. Him jovial, him ever a smile, he is just a people person and he is kind. Him wi have him last and give it away,” she said, echoing the sentiments of McLeod’s siblings.
The May Pen Police are investigating the matter.