Double murder rocks Portland

SHREWSBERRY, Portland:

A daring early morning killing of two residents in the community of Shrewsberry, Portland, has pushed the parish's murder rate into double figures.

The gruesome killings came less than eight hours after high-ranking officials from the police hierarchy, the Ministry of National Security, members of parliament, the business community, and other stakeholders met at the Ken Wright shipping pier in Port Antonio on Saturday to review the increase in major crime affecting law-abiding residents in arguably the most peaceful parish and to come up with solutions.

But while that meeting was deemed a success, hours after, the lives of Garfield Foster and Kenton Myers were snuffed out by alleged gunmen who riddled their bodies with bullets in a heavily populated neighbourhood in that community.

Police sources revealed that both men, residents of Shrewsberry, were walking along that roadway shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday, on their way to a wake after returning from a dance in the area.

According to the police, the two were pounced upon by unknown assailants, who shot them multiple times, killing them on the spot.

The police also recovered 10 spent shells at the crime scene.

The lawmen have theorised that Myers was killed in an act

of reprisal as he was allegedly involved in a physical confrontation with a woman some time ago.

The police say a man, who is believed to be the father of the woman's child, is being sought for questioning.

It is believed that a gunman from Enfield in St Mary was contracted to carry out the shooting.

The double killing brings to 12 the number of persons killed in the parish since the start of 2016.

Last year, at this time, the parish had recorded eight murders and was the only parish remaining in single-digit figures for murder islandwide.