Grandmother of Imani Green, eight, tells of the moment girl was shot dead in Jamaica

- Eight people arrested over Balham girl's shooting- She was in Jamaica visiting relatives- Imani was shot twice by lone gunman
Shooting tragedy: Eight-year-old Imani Green
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The grandmother of a London girl shot dead in Jamaica spoke today of the moment she was gunned down as police arrested eight people in connection with the killing.

Eight-year-old Imani Green, from Balham, was on holiday visiting relatives when she was killed in a grocery store owned by a relative in a rural village in the north of the island.

Imani, who attended Fircroft Primary School in Tooting, suffered from blood condition sickle cell anaemia and had been allowed to take an extended New Year holiday by her school.

Her grandmother, Sandra Fisher, who was with her in the village of Duncans on Friday night, said : “My two little granddaughters were there and when one came back I said ‘where is the baby’.

“We went to the shop and I saw a little girl lying down in a pool of blood. I started to cry and everyone was crying and saying ‘why did they kill the little girl?’

“She is such a pleasant child; she is the daughter of my son who migrated to England around seven years ago.”

She said that because of Imani's illness, it was recommended that she spend time in a warmer climate and with their Jamaican connections, the family decided to visit every year, particularly during winter.

The schoolgirl died after being shot twice by a lone gunman, once in the head and once in the shoulder, while visiting a grocery store and bar thought to be owned by a relative.

Three other people, all believed to be relatives, were also injured in the attack.

Her mother, Donna Green, 47, was understood to be at a relative’s house nearby.

Imani's sister, Janella Parmer, said : "We heard gunshots. We ran outside and shouted 'Imani, Imani, Imani'.

"I picked her up off the ground and realised she was still breathing. I flagged down a car and they drove us to hospital. The rest is history."

Yesterday her father Richard and brother Dean flew out to Jamaica to join the rest of the family.

Today, speaking from his home in Battersea, her cousin, Marc Palmer, 18, said: “I’m doing okay. The family are over there, but I haven’t spoken to them.

“I don’t think there is going to be a memorial, I haven’t heard of one.The family are in complete shock.”

He added: “The last time I saw Imani was at my mum’s wedding last year. She looked really pretty that day, wearing a dress. She was a normal girl with no particular interests.”

Imani’s cousin Brandese Brown, who witnessed the shooting, told ITN the gunman was wearing a hood over his head. “I could see the shot coming out of the gun, just a spear of fire.”

Jamaican police said eight people were being questioned about the shooting.

Deputy Supt Steve Brown said : “We have taken people into custody as we search for a motive for the attack.

"We've heard about gang warfare but we find it a bit difficult to believe because where the incident took place it is a sleepy community, nothing happens there, it's an isolated incident.

"But it could be linked to a number of things and we are looking at all possibilities and following all the leads that we are getting."

Jamaica's security minister, Peter Bunting, said he thought the little girl might have been the victim of another feud over illegal lottery scams.

The racket involves tricking people in America into thinking they’ve scooped the lottery and getting them to wire an ‘advance fee’ to collect their winnings.

Around £30 million was sent to Jamaica alone last year and 500 murders have resulted from feuds between criminals over the proceeds in the last five years.

The shooting comes amid renewed controversy in Jamaica about the scale of gun violence on the island. Police alone have shot dead 18 people in gun battles with criminals in the past fortnight.

Imani’s headteacher Anne Wilson said : "Imani was a happy, playful child who was popular with staff and pupils alike.

"She dealt with her illness very bravely and coped well with the special arrangements we had to have in place to support her.

"She had been given special permission to travel to Jamaica so that she could benefit from the warmer climate.”

Neighbours in Britain spoke of their sorrow following the girl's death and one left a candle on the doorstep of the family home in Balham.

A message with it read: "For Imani rest in perfect peace little angel our thoughts and prayers. .."

Neighbours said members of the girl's family left their home at Old Hospital Close for a flight to Jamaica early yesterday morning to be with Imani's mother.

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