Interpersonal conflict behind bursar’s murder – cops

WESTERN BUREAU:

Investigators probing the murder of Hopewell High School bursar Jermaine Roberts have theorised that an “interpersonal conflict” led to his shooting.

A late-evening release from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) on Tuesday confirmed that Byron Grant, the school’s principal, remained behind bars for a second consecutive night at the Lucea divisional headquarters.

“The principal of a high school in Hanover has been taken into police custody as investigations intensify into the shooting death of 35-year-old Jermaine Roberts,” the CCU release stated.

“Roberts was attacked by an unidentified individual who witnesses described as approximately 6ft. 2 ins. tall, wearing a floral ‘hoodie’,” it added.

Grant was detained by the police late Wednesday night, hours after Roberts was reportedly shot to death by a lone gunman, who had walked up to his car while he was driving out of the school compound. Roberts, who resided in Pitfour in St James, is originally from St Thomas.

The school’s principal, who was on the compound when the incident occurred, was reportedly injured when he ran into a glass door, which shattered, in reaction to the shooting.

He was treated at hospital and later taken into custody by the police.

The police did not reveal the reason for Grant’s detention.

However, law enforcement sources told The Gleaner that after viewing CCTV footage of the shooting, Grant was arrested and questioned for hours.

Up to press time last evening, he had not been charged.

The turn of events forced an emergency board meeting, which went on for over two hours last night.

Staff of the Hanover-based school will stay home until further notice, and the institution’s vice-principal will assume the role of acting principal.

“The vice-principal is now running the school until the principal returns to office, and we have beefed up security,” chairman of the school board Dalton Hastings told The Gleaner.

“We have been receiving the full support of the regional director and her Ministry of Education team from the west as well as the minister of education,” the chairman continued.

“Ideally, in addition to ensuring the staff and students on their return receive counselling, the most important thing right now is to reach out to the family members of our bursar, who has been killed,” he shared.

Admitting that the last 48 hours have been extremely challenging, Hastings said the focus, too, is making sure that all things at the school are in operation.

The school was plunged into mourning on Wednesday afternoon due to the murder of Roberts, who had been managing the school’s finances for the past six years.

“The incident has left teachers and ancillary workers at the school traumatised and in need of counselling,” Hastings said.

Hastings described the incident as troubling and scary, expressing concern that criminal elements no longer have any regard for the school environment.

“For someone to come on the school compound to carry out a shooting is beyond me,” he said before sighing.

The chairman said Roberts was a jovial, hard-working, and approachable individual, who was well respected in his field.

“He had a good rapport with his team,” said Hastings.

In the meantime, the investigating team has asked for the public’s support to complement their efforts to apprehend the killer.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com