Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
A 66-YEAR-OLD man and his granddaughter were killed by gunmen who invaded the community of Buck Town in Spanish Town, St. Catherine yesterday morning. Two other relatives were also injured in the early morning attack, and are in serious but stable condition at the Spanish Town Hospital.
The dead have been identified as David Johnson and his 11-year-old granddaughter, Shantel Miller, both of whom were residents of Buck Town. The injured relatives are Donovan Allen and Sonia Brooks, both of Montego Bay, St. James addresses.
AREA TENSE
In the aftermath of the killings, the Buck Town area remains tense. When The Gleaner's news team visited the area yesterday afternoon, it resembled a ghost town, as no residents were visible in the street. At one point, a young girl returning home from school saw the news team and fled in terror, running full speed towards her house, screaming, "See de man dem ah come back de."
Reports from the Spanish Town police are that at about 3:30 a.m., the family members were asleep when they heard loud knocks on the door. Shortly after that, men armed with guns kicked open the door, entered the house, and opened fire hitting Johnson, his granddaughter and the two relatives who were visiting from Montego Bay. Mr. Johnson and Shantel Miller died on the spot.
ROADBLOCK
As news of the killings circulated through the community yesterday morning, jittery residents blocked a section of Nugent Street with debris, stones and bags of sand, resulting in a diversion of traffic from the the Spanish Town to Ensom City and Eltham Park routes, to the Ensom Avenue area. The protest action caused a major dislocation that snarled morning rush-hour traffic in the area.
Several persons commiserated with the family in view of the double killings. "Bwoy mi affi just lie dung still pon the settee when the man dem start fire shot inna di house, because if me did move, dem woulda kill me too," remarked a relative of Mr. Johnson.
The St. Catherine North homicide team is yet to establish a motive for the shooting deaths.This is the fourth double murder to have occurred in the division since the start of the year.
Detective Sergeant Paul Thomas, in charge of crime in Spanish Town promised to increase the frequency of patrols in the area in an effort to prevent more killings.
