Two friends shot and killed in Pole Yard

Seventeen-year-old Jason St. Rose had a mentality to succeed and would have amounted to something in life if he had been given the chance.

The St. Vincent Grammar School (SVGS) student and athlete was shot and killed on Saturday night, July 13, 2024, in Pole Yard, Arnos Vale. His friend, 30-year-old vendor and shopkeeper Jomarl “Snoop” John, was also shot and killed during an attack at John’s shop.

During the shooting, 63-year-old retired security guard, Sylvanus Matthias, was shot in both legs and was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), for medical attention, but has since been discharged.

Curtisha Simmons said Jomarl was her boyfriend of six years; she met Jason a few months ago outside the Massy supermarket in Arnos Vale where Jomarl vended for a living.

“Jason went to Massy to vend one day, and the other vendors chased him away, but Jomarl stood up for him and told them he (Jomarl) was there before many of them, and he never chased them, so they should leave the youth alone,” Simmons explained.

She said after Jomarl stood up for Jason, the teenager would visit Jomarl in Pole Yard where he (Jomarl) was born and raised.

She also said that someone later told Jomarl that Jason was homeless and the lad was sleeping on the porch of an abandoned house somewhere in Villa while attending secondary school.

“Jomarl ask him, but he denied it, and Jomarl told him to tell the truth and Jason admitted he was sleeping at the abandoned house,” Simmons said. So Jomarl offered to let Jason live in a house in Pole Yard but only under the condition that he would be attending school regularly.

She said Jason would attend school and vend to support himself, selling fruits, and at times, vegetables. Simmons said Jason was good at saving money and would also give Jomarl money to save for him from the fruits and vegetables he sold. She said he would also make juices and take them to school to sell.

“The fact that he ain’t lazy…he was never rude or anything….,” Simmons said, while noting that the only issue with him was that he would sometimes remove things you asked him not to, but he would always admit and apologize, but was never aggressive.

“He would have been something in life,” she said, noting that the teenager was not materialistic.

“He would say when people like to buy things like Clarke’s shoes, that is why so many people poor in the country.”

The woman said that Jason appeared to have been shot in his shoulder, in his ear and on his temple. She said an intoxicated neighbour found him found face down at the back of the shop.

She said she thinks Jason was shot by one of two hooded gunmen who used the darkness of Pole Yard as their shield for murder.

The grieving woman said she is not sure what would make someone want to kill the father of her child, but she knew he was not a person to back down.

“But to say Jomarl in anything with anybody, no,…he is a person if he come and tell you back hello when you and he done fight, he good again,” Curtisha Simmons said.

The bereaved woman said she is very hurt by what happened. She said Jomarl was shot multiple times, including in his head and throat.

“Crime solving in Vincy…could never ever…nothing can never solve,” Simmons lamented.

A post to social media on Sunday, July 14, stated: “Jason St. Rose was my student…he was good at Art. He was my Lopey house athlete. A talented athlete. He won almost every race he ran..100m, 200m, 400m, 2x100m, 4x400m, road relay. He saved Lopey house on numerous occasions. He did not have an easy life..but he had a strong spirit. He endured..he struggled..he fought hard. There are few people I know who would have been able to endure what he went through at such a young age… May he find peace and love in the arms of the Creator…God alone knows”.

A release states that, “The RSVGPF is committed to conducting a thorough investigation to uncover the truth and bring clarity to this investigation. We assure the public that we are diligently wo rking to resolve this matter and will provide further updates as more information becomes available”.

The release from the police also made an “appeal to anyone with information that could assist in solving this case to come forward”.

The death of Jomarl and Jason has brought the homicide count in St Vincent and the Grenadines to 28 for 2024.

[[UPDATED AT 8:28 pm on July 16, 2024 to correct the age of Jason St. Rose at the time of his death.]]