Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

( L - R ) Gibbs, Mendez

WESTERN BUREAU:

Four St James children have been left fatherless after Wednesday night's deadly rampage in Green Pond that claimed the lives of four people.

Two others - a 36-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl - have been hospitalised with gunshot injuries.

Hours after the incident, a Gleaner team visited the community yesterday where residents expressed shock at the violence.

Fathers of two

Nathaniel Gibbs and Ryan Mendez, both 32-year-old fathers of two children, were murdered shortly after 9:15 p.m. in the Golden Heights community of Green Pond.

Edgar Martin, 21, and another man known only as 'Gavin' were also killed.

Gibbs fathered an eight-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son. Mendez had a six-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.

"They were hard-working men who worked hard for their children and they were not known to be involved in any mix-up with anybody," one resident explained. "This is the first something like this ever happen in this area."

Intervention needed

Meanwhile, Dr Beverley Scott, child therapist at the Family and Parenting Centre in Montego Bay, said professional intervention is needed immediately for the young children.

"They need to see a psychologist or a therapist now. The children may experience post-traumatic stress syndrome when something like this occurs, which can have a lasting effect," Scott said.

"This is, too, great a shock for the parents or relatives to deal with alone."

The police say about 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, five armed men went to a shop in Golden Heights and opened fire.

Mendez and Gavin were killed and a third man injured.

The gunmen then went to a nearby house and attacked Gibbs, Martin and the female teenager.

No motive has been established for the shooting.

Helping children to deal with grief

Assure them that they are not responsible for what happened to eliminate any guilt that they may be feeling.

Let them talk about the situation and their lost loved one as often as they like.

The mother needs to assure her children that she will try to take care of herself and not let something happen to her.

Allow the children to cry. This may be how they want to deal with their emotions.