Father of 17 gunned down

As he played among his family members on Fourth Street in Wilton Gardens yesterday, a three-year-old boy was just too young to understand that he was surrounded by painful faces.

His grandmother, Grace, carefully tried to make him comprehend that his father, Jerome 'Manasi' Richards, had been killed on Saturday; but the youngster only laughed gleefully before stating "Mi fada gone a farrin." According to police reports, Richards, 44, who is of Phase Seven, Arnett Gardens in Kingston 12, was shot and killed by unknown assailants on Sixth Street in the area. The Trench Town police report that about 9 p.m., residents heard explosions and alerted them. Upon the lawmen's arrival, Richards was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

THE STAR spoke with Richards' partner Stephanie, who said their more than 20-year relationship was shattered by gunmen's bullets. Stephanie, who is also the mother of three of Richard's 17 children, described him as a dedicated father.

"Honestly, him was a good father and mi know him love him kids dem. Him is a good person. I don't know the lifestyle he lived before, but mi mi can tell that him was a family person and he was always there for me. I remember a time when I was very sick and he was there for me straight," Stephanie said. "Because I have to work most of the time, he is the one to turn up at school. He was very involved in the school group and everything. He was always at the PTA meetings and so on. He was very involved."

She said she had a strange feeling in her stomach on Saturday.

"Mi belly feel full and empty at the same time. Mi just feel bad. Mi nuh drink rum for a long time but I had to take a drink from a friend when she offered. I got home and mi say to mi daughter say mi feel like worshipping God and mi and her talk. When mi a go in the bathroom, mi hear the whole heap a shot dem and mi daughter say she ago call her father because a up where he was the shot dem a fire," she said.

Richards' 10-year-old daughter's eyes welled up with tears as she explained how she frantically called his phone to check on him after hearing the explosions.

"Mi keep on a call mi fada phone and it nah answer and when mi call the fifth time, somebody ansa and say mi father just get shot up and mi start cry," she said. According to Stephanie, as far as she knows, Richards was not involved in any ongoing feud with anyone, adding that he was killed at a place he frequents.

"A deh so a him endz weh him always hang out. When mi hear say a drive-by, mi a wonder what could have happen because Manasi nuh inna nutten. Him is not a bad person mi a tell yuh. Even if him used to do things back in the days, now I am telling you that he is all about his children. Everybody love him and if a nine night deh 'bout the place, a him a di chef. A last night mi say to mi fren say mi a wonder who ago do the cooking for him now," she said.