The Coroner’s Court has ruled that the 2011 shooting death of 18-year-old Jason Christian resulted from an unlawful killing.
Christian was killed after being ambushed and shot multiple times in Cranbrook Drive, off Crewe Road in George Town, on 19 Sept. 2011. He was one of four young men gunned down that month, days apart from each other.
“Between September 13 to 19, Robert Mackford Bush, Andrew Baptist, Preston Rivers and Jason Christian were all killed in what we believe was a tit-for-tat spree of gang killings, between the Birch Tree Hill gang and the Logwoods gang,” RCIPS Detective Superintendent Peter Dean told a coroner’s jury on Friday, 11 Nov.
According to an autopsy report, Christian was shot at least three times – once in the chest, wrist and head. Despite this, he was still breathing when emergency services arrived on the scene, but died a few minutes later.
‘Wrong place, wrong time, with wrong person’
Dean told the jury of five women and one man that the evidence suggests that Christian was not the intended victim.
“From what we have gathered, it is clear that Mr. Christian was not the intended target, rather he was in the wrong place, wrong time, with the wrong person,” he said. “Christian was the driver of the vehicle, and it was the passenger that the gunman was after.”
The passenger – Keith Montique – was shot in both shoulders, in the back, and grazed on the ear “with a high-power weapon capable of firing 40-calibre ammunition, yet he survived; and Mr. Christian, who was shot fewer times, died on the spot,” Dean said.
‘I know who killed Mr. Christian’
Since Christian’s murder, police have arrested a number of people in relation to the killing, but none have been charged.
“I am confident in saying that I know who killed Mr Christian, but we do not have enough persons willing to come forward and give evidence that can help to put that person away,” said Dean.
Christian’s death was highlighted in The Cold Case Series, which is a partnership between the Cayman Compass and the RCIPS.
‘My brother was no gangster’
Also present at the inquest was Jason Christian’s younger brother Seaford Russell Jr*, who refuted the claims by Dean that his brother was an affiliate of the Birch Tree Hill gang.
“My brother was no angel and I know he was not the best person, but believe me when I tell you my brother was not a part of any gang,” Russell told coroner’s jury. “He made bad decisions and hung around with the wrong people and there is this narrative that because he died because of the gang shootings, he was part of the gangs, but this simply is not true, and it is not fair to his memory.”
*Editor’s Note: Seaford Russell Jr. is a reporter with the Cayman Compass.
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