Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

AT ALMOST 10:00 p.m. Monday, Marcia, a cashier at the Harbour View Chester's fast food outlet was counting down the last minutes of the business day.

Her co-workers had thoughts of going home to get warm on a very wet evening. None of them though, were prepared for the approximately 10-minute robbery that unfolded before their eyes.

Marcia* was among the four employees and one customer inside the establishment when life for her appeared as if it would end.

"Mi just have to live today as if it is mi last day," Marcia told The Gleaner Tuesday.

Marcia was the cashier on duty at the outlet, located in the Harbour View Shopping Centre, when gunmen robbed the establishment during a dramatic and later fatal string of events.

Four gunmen, who robbed a University of the West Indies (UWI) lecturer and her daughter of an SUV, cash and a cellular phone were continuing their rampage.

Cornered in downtown

They were later cornered by the police in downtown Kingston, and were killed in an alleged gunfight.

Earlier on, while one supposedly remained in the stolen vehicle at the Harbour View outlet, three of the men entered the food establishment. Pretending to be genuine customers, two walked up to the counter and ordered two small sodas. However, these men were neither thirsty nor were they feeling the need to cool down.

"One gave me three $50 (bills) and just as me mek fi give him di $30 change dem brandish guns," Marcia said softly.

The cash register, however, had slammed, making it difficult for Marcia to access the money. The two men leaped over the counter and tried to get the money out.

Nicole*, another employee, called out to her male co-worker, Carl*, for help.

"She tell mi seh dem a rob di place. When mi come from round di back dem tell mi fi lay down like everybody," Carl recalled.

He obeyed the men's order and was spared his life. The left side of his face is slightly swollen and there is a bruise on his cheek. One of the gunmen, he said, slapped him on the face with the gun after being ordered to do so.

"Mi use to pray sometime but dis morning mi di affi pray. If a never God, mi sure dem kill mi last night," Carl said.

* Names changed to protect identity.