Students of Tarrant High School purchase drinks from a vendor just after leaving the school compound yesterday. School was closed a day early yesterday, following the killing a student just outside the school last Friday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

The school year at Tarrant High School, St. Andrew, was yesterday cut short by a day to allow students and teachers to grieve for Gary Pierce, a student who was murdered just outside the institution on Friday.

"We are surprised as to what happened. "We are very devastated and the entire school population is traumatised," Albert Corcho, principal of the institution told The Gleaner yesterday.

"Tomorrow (today) was supposed to be the last day of school but we took the decision to close off today (yesterday). Some students would have had exam tomorrow but it won't be detrimental," Mr. Corcho said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Youth, a guidance counsellor from another institution and members from the church community and the police counselling unit provided counselling sessions for teachers and students yesterday.

Lively devotions

"The sessions went well. We had two lively devotions and then broke up into smaller groups," said Mr. Corcho.

Pierce was shot and killed by men who pounced on him while he was standing adjacent to his school.

It was reported that he was warned to stay away from the school as word had been going around that he would be killed. He, however, ignored the warnings and turned up in casual clothing.

The 15-year-old was denied entry by the school security and went to a lane at the side of the school. It was there he met his demise, along with another man, Donovan McLean, a passerby, who reportedly intervened.

School community saddened

Another student of Haile Selassie High School in Kingston was also stabbed during the incident. He is hospitalised in serious condition.

An administrator at Haile Selassie said the school community was saddened by the stabbing of one of its student. However, she noted that the school closed for summer holidays last Tuesday.

Mr. Corcho admitted that a stabbing occurred at the school, but denied claims that the killing of the student was related to that incident.

When The Gleaner visited the school just before 11:00 a.m. yesterday, it did not seem like the typical last day of school.

Students had just finished their counselling sessions and most hurriedly left the school compound. A few milled around but were told by concerned teachers to go home.

Mr. Corcho described Pierce as a typical student who would sometimes get himself into trouble. The school is expected to increase security and reassign a school resource officer when the new term begins in September.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com