There has been a flare-up of violence in St James that has left several persons dead. Five family members were killed in a recent attack, which the member of Parliament believes will lead to more deaths. He is asking the relevant authorities to do all they can to stop the killings.

‘A level of madness among young men’

MP calls for intervention as five cousins killed in two days in St James

4 Jun 202/Hopeton Bucknor Sunday Gleaner Writer hopeton.bucknor@gleanerjm.com

MEMBER OF Parliament (MP) for Southern St James, Homer Davis, has labelled last week’s killing of five members of one family in his constituency as a “level of madness among young men”.

Davis, who was speaking to reporters yesterday following Wednesday and Friday nights’ double and triple murders in the Roehampton community, said the bloodletting has been ongoing for several weeks.

“It’s not only over the last four days. This has been going on for over two months now where in that space, between Roehampton, Stone Mill, Lawson, Anchovy, some ten persons were killed,” Davis said.

“There were also some persons who were killed outside of the area, who are from the area. Over the past two days, three days, we had a double murder in a place called Stone Mill, we had another double murder up in Mars on Wednesday night, and last night we had a triple murder. So in less than a week we have a total of seven murders in that space and it is very heartrending to say this, but there is a level of madness among young men that is taking place.”

He continued, sounding baffled, “It is just, it is just beyond me to see why young men, young men, have embarked on this destructive path, and I can tell you I don’t think last night is the end. Last night might be the beginning of more things to happen.”

Sharing that the family members who were killed, all cousins, were well known to him, the MP appealed to the relevant authorities for intervention to put an end to the violence and get justice for the families of the slain.

“I am calling on all the necessary agencies of Government that can go in and offer some level of comfort to the people, some level of assurance to the people. And that includes the police, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and all social agencies that are a part of this administration.”

DAYS OF TERROR

The latest incident on Friday night took place at a section of the Roehampton community known as ‘Mars’ off Gaza Lane, and resulted in the deaths of three cousins – 38-year-old Conroy Lawrence, otherwise called ‘Beenie’, a supermarket worker; Chevon Gordon, otherwise called ‘Kong’, a shopkeeper; and 50-year-old Carlesley Morris, otherwise called ‘ Shotta’ .

Reports are that about 9:30 p.m., the men were at a shop operated by Gordon when they were ambushed by armed men who opened fire hitting them multiple times. The gunmen escaped.

The police report that Gordon and Lawrence were killed on the spot, while Morris was taken to hospital where he died yesterday morning.

Friday night’s triple murder comes on the heels of another killing spree at the same location on Wednesday night, where two other male cousins of the slain men – 20-year-old Tavar Doman, a labourer; and 23-year-old Linston Anderson, a farmer of the same address – were also killed.

Reports are that about 11:30 p.m., Doman and Anderson were shot and killed by armed men who forced their way inside a concrete five-apartment dwelling which they both occupied at Gaza Lane.

The Area One Major Investigation Division is investigating both incidents.

Davis said declaring a zone of special operations in the area will depend on the recommendation of the police.

“The Police High Command recommends the security measures that are needed, and I am sure the minister of national security and the Government will act if the recommendations are strong enough and the situation warrants it,” Davis said.

According to the latest data from the police, up to April 30, St James recorded 54 murders (the highest across all the police divisions) and 28 shootings.

The high crime rate forced the Government to declare two 14-day states of public emergency in the parish since the start of the year. The last one ended on May 28.

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