Media in mourning
Fatal shooting of Gleaner journalist Job Nelson leaves colleagues hurting as cops hunt killers
POLICE investigators are looking for footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras as they probe the murder of veteran journalist Job Nelson in Kingston on Tuesday night.
It is reported that Nelson was shot on Spanish Town Road at the Bumper Hall traffic light about 10:53 pm while he waited for the light to change. He drove from the scene but lost control of the vehicle on Collie Smith Drive where it crashed.
Nelson was taken to hospital by passers-by with a bullet wound in the left side of his chest and died while undergoing treatment.
As the cops started an intensive probe, head of the Kingston Western Police Division Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps told the Jamaica Observer that the area where Nelson was shot has been calm for some time.
“We haven’t really had any incidents there in recent times [and] I won’t speculate whether it was a crossfire. As investigators, we have to use the evidence that is before us, but the information is suggesting that it may have happened down there, so it is for us to determine the circumstances under which it happened. The information we have is suggesting that the car [being driven by Nelson] crashed into a utility pole on Collie Smith Drive,” said Phipps.
“We got that information from our police emergency network. The patrol officers responded and upon arrival they were told that the injured driver of the car was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital. They went and checked and they spoke with the doctor on duty who said Mr Nelson was admitted with a gunshot wound to the left side of the chest and he died while being treated,” Phipps added.
As news of Nelson’s killing was confirmed there was an outpouring of grief from the media fraternity, the political directorate and the sporting community.
Among those saddened by the killing was Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who took to social media to post a picture of Nelson interviewing him.
“Job was not just a remarkable professional but also a cherished member of our community. It is heartbreaking to hear that he lost his life in such a senseless act of violence,” said Holness.
“Job and I shared the halls of St Catherine High [School] which makes this loss feel even more personal. His contributions to journalism and his dedication to bringing the truth to light were commendable and he will be sorely missed,” added Holness as he extended condolence to Nelson’s family, friends and colleagues.
It was a sombre setting at the North Street base of The Gleaner Company as colleagues reacted to the killing of a man they described as more than a sports reporter.
His colleagues told the
Observer that Nelson was a competent all-rounder in print journalism whose calm demeanour was admired.
Gleaner Editor-in-chief Moya Thomas told the Observer that Nelson was an essential member of the sports team who gave significant support to the company’s publications.
“He was reliable and showed up when expected,” said Thomas.
His colleague reporter Andre Williams said he was in shock and could not turn on the radio in his car while on his was to work Wednesday morning.
“From early in the morning I started to get a barrage of calls from fellow journalists asking me to confirm whether the reports that Job had died were true. It kinda slowed me up. I was taken by shock. I drove past that location maybe about one hour before the time the police report said the incident occurred.
“I knew Job to be a very cool person, even before he started working with me at the Gleaner. Every time we saw each other on assignments, it was always courteous. He started working at the Gleaner maybe two years now. We had a mutual respect. We talked about many things including sports and news,” said Williams.
“He lived in Temple Hall and he usually would stop at my house to have drinks at my family’s bar in Stony Hill. Sometimes, I would wake up and hear that my colleague passed through last night and he left two beers for me. That happened regularly, so much so that my family got very used to him. They are going to be shocked when they hear this news,” added Williams.
Gleaner Sports Editor PaulAndre Walker described Nelson as a man for all seasons.
Walker said that even when greeted with difficult requests, Nelson’s response was always one of willingness, followed by a smile.
“He could paginate, do graphic designing, was a good reporter, and was also a good editor, and this was in a number of areas and not just sports. Every field you can imagine, news or entertainment, Job was competent in those fields. It is a significant loss for the Gleaner.
“His loss is immediate, which means that as of today there will be a hole, breaches that we will struggle to fill. His personality is irreplaceable,” said Walker as he charged that the people who murdered Job hurt an entire organisation, an entire family, and a whole host of people.
“In the back of my mind, I am still saying that it was not Job who was shot. I am hopeful that he will call and say he fell asleep, his phone died and that he would be coming in today,” Walker added.
In the meantime, president of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Milton Walker said the organisation was shocked and outraged by Nelson’s murder. Walker condemned what he described as a senseless act of violence.
“May his memory be a guiding light for future generations of journalists in Jamaica. We urge the authorities to expedite their investigation and to spare no effort in bringing Job’s killers to justice. Such heinous acts of violence cannot be tolerated, and we stand united in our demand for accountability and justice.
“As an esteemed member of the media fraternity he made invaluable contributions to various publications throughout his career, including the Jamaica Record, the Herald, X News, Loop, and the Gleaner,”
said Walker.
Senior associate editor at the Observer Pete Sankey, who had known Nelson for more than 30 years, was in shock when he confirmed the murder of the veteran journalist.
“His older brother Mark and I were part of a team of young journalists at the now defunct Jamaica Record newspaper, which was, at the time, a training ground for some enthusiastic young men and women eager to build a career in journalism.
“Job was never the one to start an argument as he was more a peacemaker, so it is hard to imagine why someone would cut his life short while he waited at a traffic light. To Mark, the rest of relatives and close friends I extend my condolence. No one will ever know why, but as you all mourn, remember Christ understands the language of tears,” said Sankey, who worked with Nelson at the Observer.