By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

QUINTON Arnett cancelled his 50th birthday trip to Las Vegas on Sunday because he could not bear the thought of travelling while his only son lay in a morgue, the victim of a cold-blooded murder on Saturday that his four-year-old daughter witnessed.

The little girl now tells relatives her father is in heaven, her innocence shielding her from the horror of that day, according to her grandfather.

CCTV footage of the early morning shooting sparked national outrage, especially as the gunmen continued firing while Quintero Arnett’s daughter ran for her life.

Mr Arnett said he has not watched the graphic footage, calling it too painful to bear.

He said since his 24-year-old son’s murder, every time he closes his eyes, he sees him in his dreams.

“I don’t want to see my son go out that way,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “At the end of the day, I forgive whoever did it. I forgive them.”

On the day of the incident, Quintero was sitting in a vehicle with his daughter and girlfriend outside a business on Dunmore Street when a car pulled up. CCTV footage showed several masked gunmen emerging and opening fire. In his final moments, Quintero opened the back door, allowing his terrified daughter to escape. She paused briefly, looking at her father as the gunmen circled him. He appeared to say one last word to her before collapsing. The girl then ran away as the gunmen continued shooting.

Mr Arnett, who turned 50 yesterday, said he raised his son to protect his family, just as he was protected. He said his son was a devoted father who was focused on building a future for his daughter. A father of three, he said he shared a close relationship with his only son, teaching him how to be a good businessman, father, and person. 

“He was my everything because he reminded me of me so much growing up,” he said. “I grew up without a father. I always said to myself when I get older if I have any children, I want them to be the better version of me.”

Mr Arnett, who owns a car rental company, said Quintero was a boat captain for Pieces of 8 Charters and did mechanic work on the side. He said his son dreamed of someday owning a boat and getting married. 

He said his son had never been to jail or court and was not involved in any criminal activity.

During an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing yesterday, Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles said she was aware of claims that Quintero was not the intended target but could not yet confirm this.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, meanwhile, urged mothers of criminals not to be afraid to turn their sons into police so they could take responsibility for their crimes.

Mr Arnett said he was grateful police had contacted his family and assured him they would do their best to solve the case.

On the morning of the shooting, Quintero, who lived with his girlfriend, was on his day off and had planned to take her to work. Before dropping her off, the couple and their daughter stopped for breakfast at a restaurant on Duncombe Street. Mr Arnett said his son was driving one of his rental cars that morning and had planned to visit the family home after dropping his girlfriend off.

He said his wife and his son’s girlfriend were devastated by the shooting and recalled his wife screaming at the top of her lungs when she first heard the news.

The family has been rallying around Quintero’s four-year-old daughter.

“If you ask her now where daddy is, she just tell you about her daddy in the sky,” he said. “But eventually, she’s going to have to get counselling.”