The family of popular St Joseph businessman Nyahbinghi is in mourning after his 31-year-old daughter and salon owner Makeda Sade Swift was shot and killed on Friday night. Police say they're treating it as a robbery gone wrong. Alexander Bruzual reports
00:00It happened around 8.50pm on Friday along the eastern main road near the basketball court by the Wasa compound in St. Joseph.
00:08Police say Swift was in the front passenger seat of a brother's black Kia Cerato when a white Nissan Teeter pulled up.
00:15A masked man got out, demanded she exit the car, but opened fire moments later without warning.
00:22He then fled.
00:23Swift was found bleeding but alive.
00:25She was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where she was pronounced dead around 9.10pm.
00:32Investigators have yet to identify an official motive, but are treating the case as a robbery gone wrong.
00:39At the family's home on Tinto Lane, Martin Defoe remembered his daughter as a beautiful queen and a devoted professional.
00:47She was a queen, you know, a beautiful queen.
00:49I ask anybody, my daughter was a queen, you know.
00:52Beautiful, beautiful young lady, beautiful young lady.
00:56I cannot have a better daughter than that, you know what I mean?
00:59You cannot have nothing better than that.
01:01And the loss is great, it's really great.
01:04Holding back tears, Defoe said the violence is hard to comprehend, but he intends to stay strong for his family.
01:11You can't hold up.
01:12Very plain, nobody can't hold up with that.
01:14You see if you lost your child and your love, that kind of violence, you know, unbelievable, unbelievable.
01:21He says that despite the tragedy, he won't give up spreading positive messages about this country and life.
01:28After all these years, I didn't know these right things.
01:30There's something wrong to happen to me, you know, that hurts.
01:33But I won't give up, you know, I won't give up that conscious fight, you know, I can't give it up, you know what I mean?
01:36I'll continue fighting, I can't give up.
01:38He said his daughter is survived by two brothers.
01:42At the St. Joseph Business compound where Swift operated her body and nail salon, fellow entrepreneurs described a hardworking colleague who often served clients late into the night.
01:53I know from working on the compound, I mean, my business is right next to her.
01:59So, you know, I see her every day and she's been working very hard.
02:03She's a very hard worker, diligent with her business and actually, that's why I think, I mean, she does a lot of late night work with her clients.
02:13Clavery says the killing has left business owners on edge.
02:16At some point or the other, each one of the people on this compound would have been here late at night, like Sade.
02:24And the whole fact that you feel now, obviously, insecure, you know, you don't feel safe that you could really push your business and do the extra work and do those extra hours because you never know what could happen.
02:43St. Joseph MP and Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj visited the family, offering condolences.
02:49I had to come here today as soon as possible and pay my respects to Naya Binggui, a treasured member of this community and icon.
03:03And I had to come pay my respects to him and the family.
03:07It's really a tragic loss to the community.
03:10We are here to provide all the necessary support that we can.
03:14Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
03:17She is remembered by loved ones and colleagues for her spirit and drive and leaves behind grieving parents and siblings.
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