Alkaline saddened by the untimely death of one of his fans following his recently held New Rules Festival in Kingston.
The artist reportedly shared condolences to the family of a young man who was killed after he intervened to stop a robbery of a woman after Alkaline‘s New Rules show last week.
On Friday, Alkaline’s management team shared regrets at the loss of life of Orthniel Thomas, 22. According to police reports, Thomas was fatally shot as he attempted to stop robbers from carting off a woman’s belongings on Sunday.
Thomas, who is said to be a major fan of Alkaline, had been at the New Rules event held at the National Stadium and was heading home on Tom Redcam Avenue when he tried to help a woman by attempting to retrieve the stolen item robbers snatched.
The robbers retaliated and shot Thomas in his left upper back, and he later died while being taken to the Kingston Public Hospital by a police unit.
Alkaline & his company New Era Productions, headed by his sister Kereena Beckford, released a statement about the devastating loss of life over an act of bravery.
“Mr Orthniel Rowayne Thomas would have celebrated his 22nd birthday today. His untimely death, almost a week ago has been felt not just by his immediate family and friends but also by a community of music lovers he associated with,” the statement began.
“Mr Earlan Bartley, more popularly known as Alkaline, and his team would like to publicly express their condolences to his mother Ms Safra Turner and the extended family,” the statement added.
The artist lamented the fact that Thomas met an untimely death while going home from a music concert. The artist also noted that he was among 38,000 Vendetta fans who came out to see him performed at the event held on July 2, 2022 at the National Stadium Car Park. The artist, who is clearly saddened by Thomas’ death, calls on other fans to acknowledge his untimely passing.
“We implore anyone with information surrounding the incident to share with the relevant authorities,” the statement continues. “New Rules Festival is an avenue where entertainers irrespective of their standing can engage an audience but also a space for music lovers to bask with peers enjoying great music in a safe space.”
“We encourage everyone to offer a kind word, prayer or thought as a mother, father, siblings, and friends mourn a loss while honoring Orthneil’s life.”
Family members and friends of Thomas have shared on social media not only his love for music but also his love for Alkaline’s music. He was said to be a super fan of the artist and would only listen to his music on rotation.
