Rudolph Brown - Workers from Madden's Funeral Parlour carry out the grim task of removing the bodies from the scene of one of the murder incidents in eastern Kingston (Rockfort), yesterday.

By Jonique Gaynor / Dwayne Mcleod, Staff Reporters

Just looking at the pictures of her son, her four-month-old granddaughter and the child's mother, is enough to move Jennifer Adamson to tears.

As the grieving mother pointed to her slain family members on photographs retrieved from an album, a steady stream of tears flowed from her eyes. Marlon Hurd, 26; his girlfriend, Shaineta Smith, 18; and their four-month old baby, Rana-Jay, were three of the seven persons killed in the Norman Gardens area of east Kingston early Friday morning.

Adamson told THE STAR that Hurd and his family were asleep in his room and that she was awakened by gunshots shortly after 3 a.m. "When I look at the clock, it was about 16 after 3. Mi jus hear di gunshot, dats all mi hear. I thought it was around di back, and a later on mi realize seh it was in his room it a gwaan," she said.

Hurd had been working at the Norman Manley International Airport since February, and his mother has no idea why anyone would want him dead. "Nobody don't know," she said, "Marlon go Windward Road Primary an den him pass an go Donald Quarrie. Im seh gun a fire out deh and im lef an get himself inna Norman Manley. When war start out deh im stop go school. Im nuh go no more school. Mi son nuh gimmi no trouble, no trouble."

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Struggling to explain what she was feeling, she told THE STAR, "Mi can't tell yu how mi a feel. Mi chest a hurt mi, mi head a hurt mi and mi belly bottom a hurt mi. Dem couldn't shoot him and mek im recover? Mek im get fi go doctor? If a even fi wi push him inna wheelchair. But dem tek him ... dem tek him," she repeated.

Jerry Hurd played football with his son on Thursday night, and earlier in the day, the two cleared away weeds from their gate. He too was moved to tears as he spoke about his son's murder and said, "Mi neva deh here or nothing. Dem call mi about 4 o' clock and tell mi fi come dung cause dem shoot up Marlon and im baby. Mi come see him an him baby mother pan di bed, but dem did rush off wid di baby to hospital already."

"Mi feel like mi inna dreamland," he continued, "Mi can't believe dis a happen. Mi an him chop out, out deh so and wi play ball las' night. Him and nobody nuh inna no friction. Neither him baby mother, cause she not even come from di area."

Marlon's 11-year-old sister broke down during her father's interview and when she was sent for a broom at the back of the house, she told her aunt, "Mi fraid mi go roun deh."

Another aunt was heard wailing inside a bedroom and relatives told THE STAR that Marlon had died in her arms.

Further into the community, along Glasspole Avenue, the gunmen also wreaked havoc. Joan Violet Williams, 48, and her 18-year-old daughter, Christina Bryan, were killed after their home was invaded about 4:30 a.m. When THE STAR visited the scene, a tenant at the house said, "As far as I can see, dem jus kick off di door and kill di people dem. A di other side me deh an mi jus hear like some rumbling. Is when di police dem come, mi realise seh di two people get shot. She [Violet] was a good friend of mine, di whole a wi live good. She worked at a restaurant over Port Royal. If she an people have tings a street, mi nuh really know."

aged, youthful not spared

The rampage did not end there. however, as 70-year-old Joan Richardson and nine-year-old Mutombo Thomas were killed at about 5:30 a.m., along Lacruise Road. Thomas, who was nude and preparing for school, hid under a cellar, but was found and killed.

The Kingston East police, who are investigating, said the seven murders might have been linked to a feud between rival gangs in the area.

Deputy Superintendent of Police and officer in charge of Crime for the division, Michael Ellis, said preliminary investigations have pointed to reprisals. He also noted that the police had already ascertained names of individuals suspected to be directly involved. DSP Ellis, however, said that further investigations would have to be done before releasing those names.

I am going to meet with my teams to see what we have accomplished, after that we will see if the names can be released," said DSP Ellis.