When it rains, it pours. This was the sentiment expressed by the Howells and their extended family when The Star spoke with them yesterday. Just two weeks ago, on August 14, Kadian and Henry Johnson, children of Doreen Howell, 52, were viciously gunned down off Lyndhurst Road, leaving the family to grapple with a great loss. Shaneil Haughton, 22 was also gunned down that same night.

Then, five days later, before funeral plans could even be arranged, Doreen collapsed and died while attending church on Waltham Park Road. The already torn-up family was now left to plan the funerals for three of its beloved members, all at the same time.

Very grieving

"Bwoy is a ruff ride, very grieving. All now I haven't got over the situation," said Austin Howell, Doreen's brother. "My sister, niece and nephew and I were relatively close and I just can't believe what happened. The family is really in shock."

Eunice McLymont, Doreen's niece, said that news that both her cousins were murdered scarred her so deep that she cried almost endlessly. But, when she heard that her aunt died just five days later, the news left her speechless.

Getting ready

"I was getting ready to go to the market that Thursday when I got the call that they killed Kadian and Marcus (Henry) I was torn apart, I couldn't even go to the market anymore," McLymont said. "With my aunt now, I was just dumb-struck. I was putting my baby to bed and I got another call saying that my aunt was dead. I had to sit down for a while. I couldn't talk. This was too much. "

McLymont said that burying all three will pose a great challenge, not just emotionally but financially. "It's a triple funeral for the family right now. It's very difficult; we will have to really put in some effort financially," she said. "I mean it's hard enough dealing with and burying one family member, so just imagine when you have to lay three to rest at the same time. That can't be easy."

Kicked off door

About 4 a.m., on August 14, gunmen kicked off the front doors of two homes in a yard on Elgin Road, Kingston 5 and killed the three persons. A few days later, the gunmen sent an apology saying they killed the wrong persons.

While family members and close friends grieve over the gruesome deaths, residents had a clear warning for the killers and a strong message for the police. "Them come here and kill three innocent people and now them a seh them sorry, them fi go weh. All the big woman dead jus' fi see how them murder har pickney them.

'Mouth apology nah go help'

Them fi go turn themself in to the police, only that a go mek we feel better, no word a mouth apology nah go help. And the police them nah help we. We tell them a who and all now none a the man dem weh kill the people dem nuh get arrested," said one angry resident.

Police say they are looking for members of the Benbow Gang in connection with the murders.