St Catherine chamber of commerce calls for action following Linstead businessman's murder

Members of the business community in Linstead, St Catherine, are mourning the death of a pharmacist who was shot on Saturday.

Denzel White, of Jericho district in St Catherine, was admitted to the Linstead Hospital on Saturday with gunshot wounds to his upper body but died on Sunday.

It's reported that about 8 p.m. on Saturday, White was on his way home, after closing his pharmacy in Linstead, when he was attacked along the Jericho main road, outside Linstead. 

President of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dennis Robotham, called for the authorities to take action to stem violence against business operators.

"The killing of this young business operator is a clear indicator that criminals are acting with impunity and it is indeed discouraging for commerce in the parish," Robotham said. "This is not the first and the action must be cauterised before it gets uncontrollable," he added.

Meanwhile, local government representative, Councillor Herbert Garriques, said White was like family to him.

"I have known him for years, in fact his mother and I were batchmates in college, he literally grew on campus. He was very ambitious and having trained and worked as a pharmacist, it was great that he established his own business," Garriques said.

He said that White was also a deacon in his church and his untimely demise is heartrending.

The Linstead police have launched an investigation into the murder.

No motive has been established in White's death.

- Rasbert Turner

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