Sibling tragedy - 8-y-o, infant brother die in Paradise fire; sisters injured

(Jamaica Gleaner) The community of Paradise in Norwood, St James, failed to live by its name yesterday as residents struggled to recover from shock after learning that only two of four siblings, all under nine years old and left home alone, made it out alive from a Friday night blaze.

The mother of the two young boys who lost their lives in the fire that completely destroyed their home on Ban Lane has been taken into custody by police on suspicion of child neglect.

The Montego Bay police said they were awaiting the completion of investigations to determine if criminal charges should be laid against 28-year-old Shantel Brown in connection with the deaths of her two sons – eight-year-old Javanchi Lauderdale Palmer and one-year-old Tyler McLeod – and the injury to her two daughters – six-year-old Cory-Ann Palmer and Tyler’s twin sister, Tailer McLeod.

“Mi belly a hurt mi, an mi can’t believe seh mi two nephew just gone suh,” Stacy-Ann Brown, the children’s aunt, told The Sunday Gleaner.

“Last night, mi call Shantel and give har some food fi give mi nephew dem. Tyler glad fi the food suh ‘til, a pure dance him a dance, and mi never did know seh a the last time mi did gwan si dem.

“Mi tired fi talk to mi sister seh if she don’t want the pickney dem, give dem up fi adoption. Mi inna mi room and a the heat wake mi up. When mi rush out a door and see the fire, mi nearly drop down, mi bus out a bawl when mi hear seh Shantel lef the pickney dem alone and gone a road, mek the house bun dung and dem dead.”

The mother was out “drinking and gallivanting” at the time of the fire.