On Saturday, April 11, 2026 teenaged athlete Alia Crystal McDowall, was laid to rest at the Lowmans Hill Cemetery, following a funeral service at the New Testament Church of God, Lowman’s Hill.
Seventeen-year-old Alia, affectionately known to her family as Philoni, was a student/athlete of the Barrouallie Secondary School (BSS), also known as the Central Leeward Secondary School (CLSS), whose “life was cut short”, according to many who paid tribute during her funeral service.
Alia was stabbed multiple times about her body on November 28, 2024, outside her school. The injuries were inflicted with a knife allegedly by a student of the Bethel High School (BHS). Because of her injuries, especially one to the neck, Alia was unable to return to school and was in and out of the hospital. She succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, March 1, 2026, after months of illness, pain and surgeries.
Vibert Pierre, former Principal and Alia’s aunt’s husband, who did the eulogy, described Alia as an individual who was courteous, loving, and deeply caring to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.
“That was Alia. Full of life, full of joy, and always giving her best. She didn’t just run with her feet, she ran with her heart,” he said.
Alia lived with her aunt in Barrouallie from the tender age of three, so she attended both primary and secondary school in the area.
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