The relatives of a 28-year-old mentally challenged man who was shot dead at Linstead in St Catherine are being encouraged to focus on the love and connection they shared with him – not on the struggles he faced up to when he was tragically robbed of an opportunity to ever make a recovery.
Nicholas Campbell, affectionately known as Pon Gully, was shot dead by unknown gunmen shortly after nightfall on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, at Time and Patience district in Linstead. Moments after he was cut down, another man was shot and wounded at a shop in the community.
Reports indicate that Campbell was inside a premises preparing dinner when the gunmen appeared. He eventually ran, but was chased and shot dead.
His burial took place at the Linstead-based Treadways Cemetery on Sunday, 6 April 2025, following a service of thanksgiving at Cheesefield Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Trishagaye Kelly, a cousin of the deceased, in presenting the eulogy, said: “Today, as we remember Nicholas, let us not just focus on the struggles he faced, but on the love and connection we shared with him. May we honour his memory by holding onto the lessons he taught us about compassion, the importance of community, and the need to support one another in times of difficulty.”
The cousin described the turmoil that Campbell faced as a cruel companion, but said it never fully extinguish his spirit. He did odd jobs in and around his community to provide for himself.
“Nicholas was a hard worker who contributed as best as he could, and continued to do so until his last days,” she added.
Kelly stated that Campbell’s more than decade-long mental health struggle started after he dropped out of Ewarton High School in St Catherine and picked up smoking.
“This decision to stop attending school led to life not being easy for Nicholas. Due to submitting to peer pressure, he took up ganja smoking, which led to significant health challenges, including mental illness,” she told the gathering.
“His struggles with medication and mental illness were part of his reality for over a decade – a significant challenge that influenced his relationships and experiences. Yet, even in the face of these difficulties, Nicholas was still loved deeply by his family.”
The late Campbell, who attended Wallen’s Basic School, Time and Patience Primary, as well as Rosemount Primary and Junior High, was born at Linstead Public Hospital 10 January 1996 to Melva McDonald and Anthony Campbell.
“He was born prematurely and was a very ill baby,” the eulogist said. “Nicholas lived at Orangefield district with his parents, but later with his grandparents due to his illness. He experienced the ups and downs of family dynamics like many of us.”
At the time Campbell was killed, he was at least the second mentally challenged man murdered within months in Linstead. In the other incident, which happened 3 September 2024, Jovan Young was found hacked to death near Bread Of Life Church at Vanity Fair, Linstead.
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