Teen killed escorting girl, 12, across border line

The murder victim, Nicholas Simon, 18, was set upon by gunmen riding on two bicycles as he accompanied the 12-year-old friend, an SE A (Secondary Entrance Assessment) student across the borderline in Enterprise after she complained about being shot at several times earlier that day.

Simon’s bullet riddled body was found sprawled with his hands across his chest near the African Grounds in Enterprise, an area which police said is controlled by members of the “Rasta City” gang. Simon lived on the opposite side of the community which according to reports is patrolled by members of the “Unruly Isis” and remains at war with members of the “Rasta City”. According to sources in the area, Simon had been warned by those in “Rasta City” about crossing into their territory. The girl --who police asked not to be identified-- was allegedly shot four times in the arm and remains warded in stable condition in hospital. The primary school student turns 13 in September and is due to write SE A in May. She was said to be a close friend of one Simon’s sisters and often visited their home.

On Monday evening, relatives said she stayed longer than normal and had complained that she was afraid to go home alone because of a shooting incident which occurred earlier in the day. Relatives said Simon considered the girl as his sister and this was why he did not hesitate to escort her home although he knew it was dangerous.

“She said was afraid to go home alone,” said Simon’s distraught sister Kimberley Joseph, 17, who explained the girl had told them that while on her way to visit them, someone fired shots at her and a cousin who was accompanying her.

Joseph continued: “He has a younger sister, and if that had happened to her he would want someone to look out for her as well.

Nicholas died trying to protect her. He tried to shield her from the gunmen and picked up all the bullets instead.” Joseph said her brother was shot in the face and eyes.

Relatives yesterday denied that Simon, a Servol trained plumber, was involved in any gang activity, saying instead he was always focused on gaining employment.

“He was your typical 18-year-old, he was not bad child,” his grandmother Joycelyn Mathurin, 50, told Newsday at their Johnson Street, Enterprise home yesterday as as she and her four other grandchildren struggled to come to terms with Simon’s death. She said her grandson was shot at 18 times. The girl who was also shot remains warded at hospital.

As they searched for answers to the killing which they described as senseless, relatives felt it could be linked to a recent “like” on his Facebook page by a girl who lived in Rasta City. The relatives said he had been warned by others about the girl.

Another relative disclosed: “The other day they ‘raff ’ him and tell him that they know him from Facebook and warned him about crossing the border line. But he was not on that girl as he has a girlfriend.” On Tuesday moments before leaving to drop the young girl, relatives took a picture of him. “It’s the same clothes he had on when he was killed,” one relative revealed.