Another double murder rocks Westmoreland
Published:Thursday | March 24, 2022 | 12:06 AMHopeton Bucknor/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Cornwall Mountain division, Dawnette Foster, has expressed shock at the number of murders that have taken place within her political power base since the start of the year.
Foster, who was speaking to members of the media following the killing of two men in the Highgate community in Darliston, Westmoreland, on Tuesday morning, said that this latest double killing has taken the number of persons killed in her division since January to 10.
The most recent incident occurred on Monday night at a shop in Highgate, and left two men dead and another nursing gunshot wounds in hospital.
SPED AWAY
Those killed have been identified as 35-year-old Soneil Leslie, otherwise called ‘Munchie’, and 22-year-old Nicholas Warlock, both labourers of Highgate.
Reports are that about 9:45 p.m., Leslie, Warlock and another man were among other customers at a shop in Highgate, when a group of men drove into the community in a motor car. Two of them alighted from the vehicle, entered the establishment and opened fire on the occupants hitting the three victims, before jumping back into the waiting motor car and sped away.
The police were summoned and upon arrival, the wounded men were taken to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, where Warlock and Leslie were pronounced dead, and the other victim treated and admitted in serious condition.
Foster, who visited the relatives of the victims, told The Gleaner that the incident was most unfortunate, and that she is especially concerned over the number of murders in her constituency since the start of the year.
“If I can remember correctly, there have been over three double murders, and a triple murder in my division, and this has now become a great concern,” she said.
“All of these senseless killings have got to stop, and this is a matter that needs to be addressed with great urgency.”
Like Foster, residents living in the area also expressed concern over the hike in murders in their community, but said they were mainly concerned over this latest incident which is the first of its kind to take place in the Highgate area.
“I am over 60 and this is the first time mi ever si something like this tek place inna Highgate,” one resident who gave her name as Milly told The Gleaner.
“This is a peaceful farming town, an dem ting yah never happen up yah suh ye. It mek all a wi ketch wi fraid, and fraid fi walk a night-time.”
The concerned resident also said that other persons at the shop had to run in order to save their lives from the gunmen, and also that the entire community is now living in fear.
Meanwhile, the Westmoreland police have reported that they have not got any leads into this latest double murder, but that they are still working on making an early breakthrough.
Twenty-nine persons have been murdered in Westmoreland since the start of the year.