(Jamaican Observer) – The Jamaican father of one of the men shot dead at a party in Brooklyn, New York, early Sunday morning believes that the killers targeted his son after seeing him in a photo with Donald “Likkle Danny” Nash, the alleged leader of the Darksyde gang who was also slain in the attack.
Another man, Novado Bailey, was also killed and two other people shot and injured.
After Nash and a 37-year-old man were attacked inside the party venue, the Brooklyn Event Space on Wortman and Sheffield avenues, 36-year-old Nicholas Palmer, Bailey, and a 51-year-old man were shot in a motor car parked a block away.
In videos circulating on social media, Palmer’s body is seen dangling from the passenger seat of the car, while a motionless Bailey is seen in the driver’s seat. The 51-year-old man, who appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds, moaned and called out loudly for someone to call an ambulance.
Palmer’s father, Donovan, told journalists that his son worked hard for a living and was no gangster. He claimed that when Nicholas wasn’t working at an air-conditioning repair business that was owned by Bailey, he was at home caring for his three children.
He said during the party, which had an all-white theme, Nash went over to Bailey to have a photograph taken. This photo was posted to social media shortly after.
“By shaking that person’s hand, the shooter or whoever, put two and two together and guessed they were a part of the gang… and what was going on in Jamaica. I didn’t even know about a gang problem in Jamaica till this happened here,” the elder Palmer said.
He said the killing of his son has taken a toll on his emotions and fears it could impact his already unstable health.
“This is a nightmare, like something from a movie. I can’t afford to go back to the hospital, so I am just trying to keep things as simple as I can. My son is not a violent person and was not in a gang, and I’ll put my life on the line for that. The only thing he did wrong was go out with the guy who was in the driver’s seat,” Palmer said.
Police in Jamaica are tight-lipped on Nash’s killing, but according to a senior policeman, cops “know that he is one of the violence influencers”.
The policeman declined to say any more.
According to a resident of the Kingston Central constituency, who has witnessed extreme violence at the hands of the Darksyde gang in the constituency, Nash was operating as if he was invincible.
“Danny post up picture seh him deh a all white party. You reap what you sow. People say him guard up with witchcraft, but a God do all guarding. A person cannot get up every day and talk seh people fi dead. Not everybody is going to take that. He was operating as invincible. He was feared because he issued a lot of threats and many of the threats came through,” the resident said.
