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Bloody start to 2009: Thirteen killed in 48 hours
Published: Sunday | January 4, 2009
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
THE ORGY of violence which resulted in more than 1,600 people being murdered across the island last year has continued in 2009 with 13 persons killed in the first 48 hours.
The victims include 20-year-old Kimani Manderson, the first person killed in Jamaica this year.
He was fatally shot during a gun salute in Salt Spring St James minutes into the new year.
The killings have spoiled efforts by the National Transformation Pro-gramme (NTP) and the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) to have a crime free January.
The two groups secured the commitment from several gang leaders and area dons to put a lid on the violence but they have been powerless to prevent incidents like one in Mile End, St Ann, where 50-year-old Earl Hoilet was stabbed to death, allegedly by his 31-year-old son during a dispute at a bar.
Official murder figures for last year have not yet been released, but in his New Year's message, Prime Minister Bruce Golding claimed that the country ended the year with the murder figure three per cent above 2007 when 1,574 persons were killed.
This would put the murder total around 1,620, a shade below 2005 when a record 1,674 people were killed. According to the prime minister, while the crime rate was still too high the Ministry of National Security achieved some success in 2008.
Published: Sunday | January 4, 2009
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
THE ORGY of violence which resulted in more than 1,600 people being murdered across the island last year has continued in 2009 with 13 persons killed in the first 48 hours.
The victims include 20-year-old Kimani Manderson, the first person killed in Jamaica this year.
He was fatally shot during a gun salute in Salt Spring St James minutes into the new year.
The killings have spoiled efforts by the National Transformation Pro-gramme (NTP) and the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) to have a crime free January.
The two groups secured the commitment from several gang leaders and area dons to put a lid on the violence but they have been powerless to prevent incidents like one in Mile End, St Ann, where 50-year-old Earl Hoilet was stabbed to death, allegedly by his 31-year-old son during a dispute at a bar.
Official murder figures for last year have not yet been released, but in his New Year's message, Prime Minister Bruce Golding claimed that the country ended the year with the murder figure three per cent above 2007 when 1,574 persons were killed.
This would put the murder total around 1,620, a shade below 2005 when a record 1,674 people were killed. According to the prime minister, while the crime rate was still too high the Ministry of National Security achieved some success in 2008.
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