An illegal 12-gauge shotgun, bought to protect a garden from wild animals, was instead used yesterday morning to end the life of an 11-year-old boy in the forested hills of Upper Richplain, Diego Martin.
Police at the scene of the fatal shooting described it as an horrific accident.
The gun that killed the boy was an illegal fire arm.Some officers said that while having the gun to protect his crops is a legitimate reason, the possession of the fire arm was still illegal.
According to police, Ruben Rocky Reid, died almost immediately after a boy fired at him as he ran.
Police said the Standard Five pupil of Diego Martin Primary School went with a 13-year-old friend to the forested area where the 13-year-old's brothers–11 and six–were tending to their father's crops of corn, peas and plantain.
Police said around 11.30 am the 13-year-old loaded the shotgun. Moments later his brother, also 11, fired once, hitting the other 11-year-old in the face. He died from that gunshot wound.
Another bullet from the shotgun grazed the 13-year-old in the lower back. Dazed, confused and hurt he pushed the bleeding child's body down a nearby precipice and ran off. The police want to question him. The other two children were up to last night in police care.
Speaking with the media at the foothill where his son's body lay, Phillip Thomas said his last of eight children was a brilliant young man who loved sports. Thomas said he recently bought a pair of football boots for his child and he had not even seen the boots yet.
Thomas said his son earned the middle name Rocky as he was a strong child from birth and he wanted to brand him with a fitting title.
"He solid as a rock," Thomas said as he recalled his child being born within 15 minutes of his mother arriving at hospital.
As Thomas spoke, the maternal grandfather of the two children now in police custody, Wayne "Tamby" Greaves, 63, said he could not explain how he felt.
He added it was a case of carelessness on the part of the children's father, who police say is facing charges of gun and ammunition possession as well as marijuana cultivation.
Thomas too said what happened was carelessness and while he was not blaming anyone, he believed that the owner of the gun should have been more responsible knowing that children frequented the area.
Thomas added: "That man know that gun was loaded... I always caution my children about going in the bush."
Greaves on the other hand said that the police should find the children's father and arrest him instead of his grandchildren.
At the bottom of the hill scores of villagers waited for Ruben's body to be brought out of the forest. His mother was inconsolable.
Neighbours said the young man was very polite and well-mannered. Children the ages of the boys said it was a "sad thing."