Two more murders rock Hanover

Despite additional security personnel being deployed throughout Hanover, the parish continues to bleed, with more shootings and murders. There have been at least 14 murders so far this year.

Over the past three weeks, five persons have been gunned down and five others shot and injured, placing more pressure on investigators.

The two latest incidents saw three men on motorcycles shot and injured by gunmen, and 37-year-old, Raygan Wilson, labourer of Land Top, in Chester Castle, Hanover, shot and killed in his community.

The first incident took place about 5 p.m. on Wednesday when a group of motorcyclists were returning from a grave-digging in Green Island. The men were riding through a section of March Town when heavily armed men emerged from bushes and opened fire on the group.

Three of the bikers sustained gunshot wounds and had to be rushed to hospital, where they were treated and admitted in ­serious condition.

The latest incident took place at Land Top in Chester Castle shortly after 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

Reports are that residents alerted the police after hearing a barrage of gunshots. A team from Ramble Police Station discovered Wilson’s body with multiple gunshot wounds along a roadway.

A senior officer told The Gleaner that they had several persons under their radar.

“The police in Hanover are keeping a close tab on several­ ­individuals who are believed to be involved in a number of these murders,” the senior officer stated.

“We have seen back-to-back murders in the Hopewell Police Division, and most of those murders are reprisals from an ongoing dispute taking place in the Cold Spring area, but the police now have persons under the radar and will make some arrests shortly.”

Earlier this week, the police issued data showing that up to April 6 this year, there were 12 murders in Hanover. That was one more than the 11 recorded during the corresponding period for 2018.