Rosemount Primary mourn slain classmate Shannon Gordon

Grief and heartbreak swept through the Rosemount Primary and Infant School on Monday as students and teachers mourn the brutal murder of four-year-old Shannon Gordon, one of five people gunned down in Sunday night's mass shooting in Commodore, Linstead, St Catherine.

The school has been forced to hold online classes due to a chronic water crisis, the virtual classrooms were filled with tears as news of Shannon's death and her 11-year-old schoolmate's who is now battling for life in hospital.

Principal Malaika Sinclair Bailey said the tragedy has deeply affected the entire school population.

"The news has shaken us to the core. Our students and staff are traumatized. Shannon was a bright, joyful child, and her passing leaves a painful void in our school family," she said.

Members of the police high command, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips and Superintendent Hopeton Nicholson, commanding officer for the St Catherine North Police Division, visited the institution on Monday morning. The senior officers offered condolences and provided emotional support to the teachers who were present to conduct online classes.

Board Chairman Bishop Courtney Golding echoed similar sentiments, noting that the incident has left both the school and the wider community in shock.

"This senseless act of violence has unsettled everyone. The community is tense and heartbroken," Bishop Golding said.

According to police reports, Shannon Gordon was among nine people shot when gunmen, posing as police officers, invaded a premises commonly referred to as "Big Yard" on Sunday night. The attackers, armed with high-powered weapons, opened fire indiscriminately on the group.

Five persons, including Shannon, were pronounced dead, while four others remain hospitalized -- among them the 11-year-old Rosemount Primary student who continues to fight for life.

ACP Phillips assured the school community that the police will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Ruddy Mathison

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