Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
AT LEAST eight persons were murdered in a bloody morning spree yesterday, pushing the country's homicide rate to a staggering 1,405. This is 66 less than last year's record count with just under two months remaining in the year.
For the corresponding period last year, there were 1,228 murders.
Yesterday's bloody trail stretched from St. Elizabeth in the south, to several volatile inner-city communities in the Corporate Area. Among the inner-city areas are Rockfort, August Town, Jones Town and Wakefield Crescent. Among the victims was 63-year-old returning resident, Meretha Dawkins.
Residents in Rockfort woke up yesterday morning to sporadic gunfire which left three men dead. Two of the men, Ricardo Bailey, 23, alias 'Trooper', and 19-year-old Nakia Blake, were killed by gunmen who kicked open the door of their house on Glasspole Avenue. The incident took place about 1:00 a.m.
About four hours later, a third person was shot and killed in a reprisal for the earlier incident.
"The third person has not yet been identified, but this is a long-time feud between rival gunmen fighting for turf control," Deputy Superintendent Steve McGreggor told The Gleaner yesterday.
At Wakefield Crescent, St. Andrew, two men were attacked and killed by a group of men. The victims have been identified as Leon Saunders, 22, alias 'Goofa' and 'Jermaine', both of a Rhoden Crescent address. Reports are that they were
working on a garbage disposal truck when they were attacked.
CHASED AND CHOPPED TO DEATH
The police said Saunders was shot and killed, while 'Jermaine' was chased and chopped to death. In Jones Town, St. Andrew, the body of 19-year-old Turell Mott, was found on Crook Street with multiple gunshot wounds. The police believe his killing was in reprisal for the death of Marlon Taylor, who was killed along Penso Street on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Constabulary Communication Network reported that one of two men who were beaten by a mob in Frankfield, Clarendon, yesterday, has since died.
Four persons were shot, one fatally, during an outburst of gun violence in the Gold Smith Villa area of August Town. Dead is Neil Wright, 38, an influential member of the community. The police did not identify the injured persons.
According to police records, among the victims murdered this year are 137 women, 17 children, 16 taxi operators, 15 security guards, 12 policemen, three members of the Jamaica Defence Force and three inmates.
The gun was used to kill 1,062 persons, while the knife was used in 149 of the cases, the machete 42 and other weapons, 137 persons.
