Disabled teen shot in drive-by dies

Had he died of natural causes, illness or an accident, Narlene Smith may have been able to handle the passing of her disabled son, J-Adore Campbell.

Instead, the 17-year-old, who was both hearing and speech impaired, succumbed to injuries he sustained when gunmen shot him and five other persons in their Kingston community last Monday. Reports are that a white car drove onto Text Lane before turning onto Charles Street, where four gunmen opened fire. J-Adore died on Saturday.

"Them call me today (yesterday) a tell me fi come identify him body but mi couldn't go," said Smith. "Mi always see it but mi never bargain fi this. Mi never expect say mi ago look pon somebody fi identify dem body. Not even when my mother died mi don't go -- and now mi son."

The walls in and around the area still bear the marks of the terror that unfolded that night -- the bullet holes appearing as scars that refuse to fade. Smith looks at them, dazed.

"The whole a we coulda dead, but him never deserve this. Him never deserve it," she said. "As mi say, God knows best, but better him did sick and die rather than shot take him home."

J-Adore, who attended the Lister Mair/Gilby High School for the Deaf, was well known in his community. Despite still wearing diapers, his mother said he moved around independently and always wore a bright smile.

"Him do things for himself even though him foot dem nuh hundred," she explained -- still speaking about him in the present tense. That tragic night, the family had been outside together, escaping the darkness of a power outage.

"He was sitting out here with everybody, we were outside because there was no electricity. Me did just get up with my one-year-old and by the time mi fi come back, a bay shot," she recalled. "If mi did sit down there maybe me woulda get shot, and even if mi did deh same place where he was mi woulda frighten and still run leff him."

J-Adore was the older of Smith's two children. His younger sister, now one year old, is her only comfort as she tries to pick up the pieces.

"Him love eating, that is the best thing for him," she said with a faint laugh. "He was always smiling -- my son always a smile, and that is what keeps flashing back in my head."

Looking through his photos, she smiled sadly. Her "cha cha boy", as she affectionately called him, was always neatly dressed and full of life.

"Mi never make him run dry or short of anything. Him never deserve fi go deh way here. As the day when she lays him to rest approaches, the pain is raw. Smith also had stern words for those quick to spread misinformation.

"People have a lot to say about how dem a pickney and deh pon road after hours. It was not late, and we were all out there, inna we own community," she said.