Residents of Irwin Heights, St James are in shock following the gruesome killing of an 11-year-old and her 19-year-old twin brothers by unknown assailants on Wednesday, about 7 pm.

11-year-old Peta-Gaye Cooke would have celebrated her birthday in August. Her twin brothers Givaughnie Stewart otherwise called ‘Bigga’ and Givaughn Stewart otherwise called ‘Little Man’, all of Irwin Heights, St. James, were shot and killed at their home.

The life of a 1-year-old baby, who was in the house at the time of the attack was spared. Police reports are that the mother of all three deceased left home to collect something nearby when she heard several loud explosions sounding like gunshots and rushed back home. There she saw her three children with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies.

The grief-stricken mother retrieved her grandson from the bedroom and summoned the police.

Peta-Gaye and her brothers were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where they were all pronounced dead. A family friend said he heard sounds but never thought they were gunshots. More details in this report: