Do not seek revenge, leave it in the hands of God. That was the advice given to the parents and, in particular, the father of Keyra Singh who was gunned down as she slept in the family’s Good Session, Patna Village, Diego Martin, home last Tuesday.
During the sermon delivered by Gerard Toby at the New Vision Ministries, Western Main Road, Diego Martin, Toby repeatedly called on the congregation not to seek street justice as that would lead to further killing and more revenge killings.
“It could have been worse, we could have had four bodies here, but the mercy of God saved the family. Young men, I beg you don’t take up the gun and seek revenge, change that attitude. Let God deal with it,” Toby said. Little Keyra was asleep on a bed in the family’s wooden home at Good Session, Patna Village, when gunmen opened fire on the structure. The child was on the bed with her mother, father Kerron Paul and ten-day-old sister, who has been named Keyara.
After the shooting ceased the child lay bleeding from a bullet wound to the abdomen. She died while on the way to the St James Medical Complex. Police said yesterday the gunmen’s target was the child’s father who they said was owing the shooters for drugs he took on consignment. Relatives of Paul have denied that he is involved in drugs.
Before Toby spoke, a great-great aunt of little Keyra, Marilyn Raphael-George, seemingly offended the child’s mother Neilya Singh when she said that blame for the child’s death should be placed on parents.
“I am blaming parents for what happened to this child. That child was my great-great niece but I never saw her. Parents you are to blame. Let what happened here be an example for parents. My son is 29 and when he was 24 I pull a piece of wood for him. The Bible say do not spare the rod and spoil the child and to chain (train) up a child in the way they should grow,” Raphael-George said to a single reply of amen from the congregation.
Shortly after she spoke, Singh took the microphone and told the congregation that she did all she could to raise her daughter who died at exactly two years and one month.
“I just wanted to say something because the lady before said she blame parents but we wouldn’t call this on ourselves. We was home sleeping. I had to run down the hill, she died in my arms. Nobody knows what I does go through for my children. The police and ambulance take two hours to come and help. My child always liked to look nice. Oh God, Keyra, mummy love you!” Singh said to the response of loud sniffles and muffled sobs.
During the eulogy, little Keyra’s aunt Jeamela Paul had to be comforted by Raphael-George as she spoke of how Keyra’s death brought the village of Patna together. Paul said prior to the child’s killing she found the village to be divided but after the death her community came together in a way she had never seen before and she believed that was the purpose of Keyra’s short life. She added that her hope was that the unity remained long after the funeral and pain ended.