Athaliah Reynolds, Staff Reporter

Students of the Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew reflect on the life and tragic passing of their head girl, Pia Phillips, during the school's morning devotion yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Acting Photography Editor

IT WAS a solemn and gloomy day at the Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew yesterday, as the school community reflected, during morning assembly, on the life and tragic passing of head girl, Pia Phillips.

A blanket of grief covered the sea of white and blue created by the students as they held hands and bowed their heads in prayer for the 18-year-old.

Phillips died in hospital Sunday morning after she was accidentally shot, in an ironic twist, by her father at their Havendale, St Andrew, home the night before.

Tragedy strikes

Phillips, who celebrated her 18th birthday Saturday, was returning home from choir practice with her mother when the tragedy unfolded at her gate.

Police reports are that Phillips and other family members were about to enter the house when two gunmen alighted from a car and demanded that they come to them.

The victims reportedly screamed and ran towards the house. Phillips' father, a licensed firearm holder, who was inside the house, pulled his gun and rushed to the defence of his family.

Police reports state that Phillips' father slipped and the gun went off. The bullet hit her in the abdomen.

Expressions of grief

Tears silently streamed down the faces of some of Phillips' schoolmates, while others expressed their grief verbally.

The morning's devotion was packed with open tributes to Phillips and words of encouragement for those who knew and loved her.

"Pia, you have touched the lives of so many of us, your name will live on," read one student during her tribute.

Father Michael Lewis said Phillips was a very devoted Catholic, who was very active in church and had a true sense of purpose. "We can have some peace knowing that she is with the Father," he said. "Pia lived as a woman of faith and died as a woman of faith."

Vice-principal Aba Polson told The Gleaner that classes yesterday would be dismissed at noon to give students and teachers a chance to grieve.

"We have counsellors and grief experts in place. We are going to be dealing especially with her year group, the group that she came up with from grade seven," she said. Polson said special attention would also be paid to members of the school's track and netball teams, as Pia was part of both groups.

"It is going to be difficult. We are looking for difficult days to come, but we are trusting that God will give us the grace to get through this."

Phillips, who was head girl since September, was pursuing chemistry, biology and mathematics at the Advanced level. On her Hi5 social networking web page, she wrote that she wanted to be a psychiatrist because she "loved to help people with their problems and make them happy".

Tribute to parents

The 18-year-old, who apparently shared a close relationship with her parents, also wrote a short tribute to them.

"My dad, lawd of mercy! Daddy overprotective to the highest level, but not even that can compare to his love and kindness for me," she wrote. "He is a wonderful dad, the best, the greatest. Daddy, you are my hero. Mommy, Daddy, with you in my life, I need nothing else."

Bishop Peter Morgan, who also brought words of encouragement to students at Immaculate, told The Gleaner an opportunity was needed for grieving parents who had lost a child, to get together to mourn and support each other.

"It would be good for them to get together to share, to listen and comfort each other," he said.

Struggling to cope

The Ministry of Education said yesterday that a team of counsellors would be providing emotional support to students, teachers and administrative staff at the institution. Education Minister Andrew Holness also paid a visit to the school. He noted, in a press release: "The events leading up to Pia's untimely death bring into sharp focus the criminal situation affecting our country. It speaks to issues of safety and security, a national concern with which we are struggling to cope."

Inspector Stephanie Lindsay-Clarke, of the Constant Spring Police Station, implored students and teachers to make a special effort to protect themselves.

"You are not safe at home, you are not safe at school and you are not safe at the bus stop," she told the school assembly.

Clarke said individuals needed to realise that with the present crime situation in Jamaica, such an incident could happen to anyone.

"Her death should serve as an example to others," she said.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com

Students of Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew mourn the passing of head girl Pia Phillips during devotions held at the school yesterday morning. Phillips died in hospital Sunday after she was accidentally shot by her father at their Havendale home in St Andrew Saturday night. - Norman Grindley/Acting Photography Editor