Another killing rocks Linstead’s Commodore district, 6-year-old boy seriously injured
Published:Saturday | September 14, 2024 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Tragedy has struck the Commodore district in Linstead, St Catherine, for the fifth time in as many months, with the fatal shooting of Miriam Phillips, believed to be in her early fifties. The attack occurred around 8:30 Friday morning and also left a six-year-old boy seriously injured. He is currently in hospital in serious but stable condition.
This latest killing has cast a renewed focus on the Commodore community, which has seen escalating violence since the May murder of 50-year-old political activist, Georgia Dwarka. Dwarka was shot and killed days after a police team, including Acting Senior Superintendent Hopeton Nicholson, conducted a walk-through of the area.
Sources suggest Phillips’ death is linked to Dwarka’s murder. Phillips had allegedly been marked for death by gang members, who accused her of being a police informer following Dwarka’s killing. After Dwarka’s death, Phillips’ house was riddled with bullets, and police collected several spent shells from the scene. Last week, the house Dwarka had lived in, now abandoned, was mysteriously set on fire.
On Friday morning, gunmen targeted Phillips at her home, next door to the burnt-out house. She was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the injured child remains under medical care.
Persons of interest
Acting Senior Superintendent Nicholson, who oversees the St Catherine North Police Division, noted that while a motive for Phillips’ murder has not been confirmed, the police are actively seeking two persons of interest in connection with the attack: Glendon Amos, also known as ‘Bull’, and another man known only as ‘Six’.
“The Commodore district is one of the areas that is of concern to the St Catherine North police, and we have been conducting a number of operations pursuing persons of interest in the area,” said Nicholson.
He assured the community that the police are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“We want to assure the citizens that we will be going after these persons and we will bring them to justice. We are asking citizens not to harbour him (Amos) because if they are caught with him, they will be charged for harbouring a criminal,” the senior cop said.