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Blood-drenched weekend
18 persons, including one-year-old baby girl, killed in two daysby Paul Henry Observer staff reporter
Monday, May 05, 2008
The relative lull in double-digit killings was shattered weekend with the reported slaying of 18 persons, six of them yesterday, including a one year-old baby girl from the war-torn inner city community of August Town, St Andrew.
The infant, who was shot and killed with an unidentified man from the community, had not been identified at Observer press time last night.
Police information on the late afternoon murders was sketchy, but residents said that the two were killed along August Town Road by heavily armed men, who invaded the community, which has seen a recent upsurge in gang warfare that resulted in several deaths.
A total of six persons, including the August Town two, were murdered yesterday.
Among them were Monique Solomon, 16, a graduate of the Excelsior High School, and Richard Thompson, 37, who were shot and killed by a group of armed men who invaded their 83 Lane community off the Waltham Park Road in Kingston.
The attackers made their escape in a white Toyota motorcar, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) reported.
Residents said that the midday attack was related to an ongoing turf war between men from 83 Lane and a group of men, calling themselves Gully Rat, who live along the nearby gully bank leading to the Tarrant High School.
The others also murdered on Sunday are 34-year-old truck driver Gary 'Jeff' Matthews, who was shot and killed at his gate along School Lane, Sucabba Pen, Old Harbour, before daybreak by a group of men with whom he was conversing, and Jeffery 'Scalla' Downer, 19, who was shot by unknown assailants in Falmouth Garden in Trelwany. Downer's body was found around 6:20am with a .380 semi-automatic pistol with five cartridges in its waistband.
Meanwhile, Saturday was even more drenched with blood, as 12 persons - one at the hands of the police - lost their lives violently.
Blondel Forrest, 48, otherwise called "Delton" of Grange Hill, Westmoreland, was shot and killed on Saturday after he allegedly attacked a member of a police party with a machete in Camp Savannah Mountain in the parish. Forrest reportedly attacked the officer who intervened in a domestic dispute in which the deceased was earlier involved, according to the CCN.
The deadly tone was set for Saturday with the early morning murder of three men along Retreat Drive in Kingston. One of the men has been identified as Antonio Davis, 25, of Belvedere, Red Hills, St Andrew. The other two men have not been identified.
The police were alerted to the scene by residents who reported hearing explosions around 1:30am. Two of the men were found in a crashed Toyota Camry motorcar, while the other was found along the roadway.
Several hours later, around 10:30pm, the police was called in to investigate the double murder of two unidentified males whose bodies were discovered in Bay Shore Park, Kingston, by residents who reported hearing explosions.
A 27-year-old woman, Suzette 'Melanie' McIntosh, was shot dead by unknown assailant(s) at Windsor Road in St Catherine on Saturday. McIntosh was discovered by the police in her house around 12:45pm, suffering from gunshot wounds. She died at the Spanish Town Hospital while undergoing treatment.
The others who lost their lives on Saturday were:
. Taxi operator Raymond Morris, 31, otherwise called 'Joe Grind', of Carisbrook district in St Elizabeth, who was stabbed at a wake during an argument with another man, the CCN said. Investigators are seeking Kenton Thompson also known as "Nubbie" of Mahoe district in connection with the incident.
. Ricardo 'Tommy' Taylor, 31, of Round Hill, St Elizabeth, whose bullet-riddled body was discovered along the Fullerswood main road in the parish.
. Nineteen year-old Omar Francis, otherwise called Chally of North Avenue, Kingston 13 was shot and killed by a group of men in his community about 6:35pm.
. A bus conductor, Orlando 'Dujon' Plummer, who was shot and killed by a passenger on his bus along Bay Farm Road, Kingston 11, during an attempted robbery.
. Carla Hudson, 39, a vendor of Gold Street, Central Kingston, whose body was found along Rosemarie Lane in the area after several explosions were heard.
18 persons, including one-year-old baby girl, killed in two daysby Paul Henry Observer staff reporter
Monday, May 05, 2008
The relative lull in double-digit killings was shattered weekend with the reported slaying of 18 persons, six of them yesterday, including a one year-old baby girl from the war-torn inner city community of August Town, St Andrew.
The infant, who was shot and killed with an unidentified man from the community, had not been identified at Observer press time last night.
Police information on the late afternoon murders was sketchy, but residents said that the two were killed along August Town Road by heavily armed men, who invaded the community, which has seen a recent upsurge in gang warfare that resulted in several deaths.
A total of six persons, including the August Town two, were murdered yesterday.
Among them were Monique Solomon, 16, a graduate of the Excelsior High School, and Richard Thompson, 37, who were shot and killed by a group of armed men who invaded their 83 Lane community off the Waltham Park Road in Kingston.
The attackers made their escape in a white Toyota motorcar, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) reported.
Residents said that the midday attack was related to an ongoing turf war between men from 83 Lane and a group of men, calling themselves Gully Rat, who live along the nearby gully bank leading to the Tarrant High School.
The others also murdered on Sunday are 34-year-old truck driver Gary 'Jeff' Matthews, who was shot and killed at his gate along School Lane, Sucabba Pen, Old Harbour, before daybreak by a group of men with whom he was conversing, and Jeffery 'Scalla' Downer, 19, who was shot by unknown assailants in Falmouth Garden in Trelwany. Downer's body was found around 6:20am with a .380 semi-automatic pistol with five cartridges in its waistband.
Meanwhile, Saturday was even more drenched with blood, as 12 persons - one at the hands of the police - lost their lives violently.
Blondel Forrest, 48, otherwise called "Delton" of Grange Hill, Westmoreland, was shot and killed on Saturday after he allegedly attacked a member of a police party with a machete in Camp Savannah Mountain in the parish. Forrest reportedly attacked the officer who intervened in a domestic dispute in which the deceased was earlier involved, according to the CCN.
The deadly tone was set for Saturday with the early morning murder of three men along Retreat Drive in Kingston. One of the men has been identified as Antonio Davis, 25, of Belvedere, Red Hills, St Andrew. The other two men have not been identified.
The police were alerted to the scene by residents who reported hearing explosions around 1:30am. Two of the men were found in a crashed Toyota Camry motorcar, while the other was found along the roadway.
Several hours later, around 10:30pm, the police was called in to investigate the double murder of two unidentified males whose bodies were discovered in Bay Shore Park, Kingston, by residents who reported hearing explosions.
A 27-year-old woman, Suzette 'Melanie' McIntosh, was shot dead by unknown assailant(s) at Windsor Road in St Catherine on Saturday. McIntosh was discovered by the police in her house around 12:45pm, suffering from gunshot wounds. She died at the Spanish Town Hospital while undergoing treatment.
The others who lost their lives on Saturday were:
. Taxi operator Raymond Morris, 31, otherwise called 'Joe Grind', of Carisbrook district in St Elizabeth, who was stabbed at a wake during an argument with another man, the CCN said. Investigators are seeking Kenton Thompson also known as "Nubbie" of Mahoe district in connection with the incident.
. Ricardo 'Tommy' Taylor, 31, of Round Hill, St Elizabeth, whose bullet-riddled body was discovered along the Fullerswood main road in the parish.
. Nineteen year-old Omar Francis, otherwise called Chally of North Avenue, Kingston 13 was shot and killed by a group of men in his community about 6:35pm.
. A bus conductor, Orlando 'Dujon' Plummer, who was shot and killed by a passenger on his bus along Bay Farm Road, Kingston 11, during an attempted robbery.
. Carla Hudson, 39, a vendor of Gold Street, Central Kingston, whose body was found along Rosemarie Lane in the area after several explosions were heard.
From left, Corporal Delroy Dacres from the Ferry Police Station and his daughter Shara-Kay, Constable David Henry from the Ferry Police Station, superintendent in charge of traffic and highway patrol, Fred Hibbert and Assistant JCF Chaplain, Bishop Gary Welsh participate in the praise and worship session at a church service at the Ferry Police Station in St Catherine yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) 
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