Denise Reid, Freelance Writer

Western Bureau:

Assistant Commissioner of Police for the Area One division, Clifford Blake, says no concrete measures are currently in place to tackle the recent spate of murders in St James.

"It is something we're looking at, but I'm in a meeting with the commissioner as we speak, so I can't comment on it right now," responded ACP Blake when asked what special measures will be taken to combat the rampant homicides taking place in the parish.

Between last Friday and Monday, at least four persons were murdered in St James.

Not yet identified

Dead are Everett Brown of a Dry River address in Maggoty, St Elizabeth; Nolbert Shield of Green Pond, St James, and Rodney McDonald of Sunvalley Road. The other person has not yet been identified.

On Friday night, 35-year-old Brown was killed in Bogue Heights. According to residents, Brown was seen speaking on his cellular phone when he was approached by a man with a gun who opened fire, hitting him all over the body. The residents, however, say the gunman was unknown in the area.

On Saturday, an unidentified man was shot and killed at Red Square in the community of Tucker in St James. Reports are that, on hearing explosions, residents of the area summoned police. When the police arrived, the man was seen lying in a pool of blood with multiple gunshot wounds. A number of .45 spent shells were found on the scene.

Explosions

On Sunday night, the bullet-riddled body of 47-year-old Shield was found beside a Toyota vehicle after citizens alerted police on hearing explosions. When the police arrived on the scene they found a quantity of spent shells.

Again, on Monday morning, a 35-year-old taxi driver was shot and killed on Sunvalley Road. According to reports, McDonald stopped to buy breakfast. When he alighted from the vehicle gunshots were heard, and he was later found suffering from gunshot wounds.

All the victims were pronounced dead on arrival at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay. No motive has yet been established for the murders, which are being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

St James has been plagued by murders in recent times, with four murders taking place in Granville in the last three weeks and isolated murders occurring in other parts of the parish.