As the United States battle with gun control amid the misused of it, where innocent people including students are murdered in cold blood on a daily basis, here in Liberia similar situation has taken place with a sixteen years old student of the Cy-Ed Christian School of Excellence killing his colleague on campus.
GNN investigation has discovered that the sixteen-year murderer student step-father is an Ex-US Marine who usually in Liberia on a short-term visit with his friend (Jovanus’ mother), but left Liberia few weeks ago, “Probably he left his weapon behind,” a source confided in the GNN during an exclusive interview.
Informed source also said due to Jovanus’ unbecoming attitude previous schools that he earlier attended including the Levi C. Williams High School was expelled by those schools’ administrations, a situation that landed him to the Cy-Ed Christian School of Excellence,
According to sources on the campus and the community in which his parents resides, Jovanus was always fond of guns, every time he was alone or with friends, “His action always depicted having weapon in his possession, even whenever he and his friends were together he will show the sign of wanting to shoot,” another source in a chit with our staff said.
According to unconfirmed source, the mother of the sixteen years old murderer has a male friend who is believed to be an ex-U.S. Marine officer name undisclosed has recently left the country to the United after a short break with his friend, the mother of Turay.
However, police in Monrovia are investigating two high school students of the Cy-Ed Christian School of Excellence for the murder of 16-year-old school mate on campus with a 9mm pistol in the early morning hours on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.
The victim was the daughter of Dr. Philip Ireland, head of Internal Medicine at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center.
Police informed journalists that they have in their custody the two students, Jovanus Oliver Turay, 16yrs and a person of interest, Matthew Gonkerwon, who are persons of interest to the police.
In a press statement, the school’s administration expressed despair over the tragic accident. The school said the student took the handgun to school Tuesday morning.
“While a majority of the students were eating breakfast in designated locations, this student slipped away to show off the gun to a friend and it accidentally went off. Staff, emergency medical personnel, Police, and all responded quickly,” the administration stated.
The victim, Precious Ireland, was a 16-year-old student in the 10th grade, and one of two daughters of Dr. Philip Ireland, the head of JFK Hospital Internal Medicine Department
The police say Suspects, Jovanus Oliver Turay, 16yrs and a person of interest, Matthew Gonkerwon, 17yrs were picked up early Tuesday morning at 8:00AMs by the Anti Robbery Unit of the Liberia National Police.
Police preliminary probe conducted by the School’s Principal, Mr. J. Emmett Chapin, revealed in his narration that he was urgently called at 7:45 AM by one of his colleagues of a shooting sound heard on campus. He further accounted that eyewitnesses and students saw the three seated in one of the classrooms listening to music via an earpiece and suddenly saw victim Precious Ireland lying unconscious after a gun sound.
Suspect Jovanus Oliver Turay pulled the trigger on his peer. Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, an uncle to the deceased told FrontPageAfrica that Turay demonstrated capacity to handle the gun and he recharged the magazine before blowing it off
The parents of the main suspect, Josia Saah and Sylvanus Turay (lives in the USA) have been cooperating to bringing their Legal Representations to extract statements from the suspected juveniles.
“Concern about the School’s Safety” – Education Minister
While this situation remains a concern of parents of students at the Cyber-Ed Christian School of Excellence and those who have children at various schools, government through the Ministry of Education said it is concerned about the image of the school and the safety of other students.
Minister Sonii described the incident as ‘strange’ to the country, adding that the Ministry of Education will come out with official position on the matter Wednesday.
He said, “It was not an exchange of gun fire, but something shocking and has never happened in this country before. I will not use the term shootout, but tomorrow we intend to have a meeting at 10; we will get more feedback, because we will listen to the parents and police, and we will get the full story.”
Investigation continues
Comments are closed.