Two killed in St James

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE BLOODLETTING in western Jamaica continued with two persons being murdered within a 24-hour period in St James, taking the number of persons killed in the parish since the start of the year to 132.

The victims, killed between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, have been identified as 40-year-old Omar Smith, otherwise called ‘ Triffiban’, labourer of Bamboo Lawn in Lilliput; and 27-year-old Michael Christie, a businessman of Bottom Pen.

Reports by the Barrett Town police are that about 2 a.m. on Monday, residents of Lilliput alerted the police after hearing explosions.

Upon their arrival, a search was carried out and Smith was found lying in a pool of blood, with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body.

He was transported to the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), where he was pronounced dead.

Prior to Smith’s murder, the Freeport police reported that about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Christie was standing along the roadway in Bottom Pen when he was approached by men travelling in a Toyota Axio motor car.

The occupants of the vehicle reportedly brandished handguns and opened fire, hitting Christie several times, before speeding away.

Christie was discovered with gunshot wounds to the upper body. He was rushed to CRH, where he was pronounced dead.