Bloody weekend in the Second City

WESTERN BUREAU:

The murder tally in St James has increased to 235, following the killing of eight more persons in separate incidents across the parish on the weekend.

Five of those killed have been identified as Delroy Crookson, a 21-year-old delivery man of a Copse, Hanover address; 25-year-old chef Owen Black, of a Garlands address; 65-year-old Nigel Kerr, of Mount Salem; 52-year-old Cornell Kitson, of Barrett Town; and Ricardo Morgan, of Norwood.

gunmen cornered

Reports from the Constabulary Communications Unit are that, on Friday, at 6 p.m., Crookson was a passenger on a motor-truck in the Irwin community in St James, when two armed men opened fire on the vehicle. Crookson was hit and was later pronounced dead at hospital.

Following that incident, at 5:25 a.m. on Saturday, Black was shot and killed by two men on a motorcycle in Garlands. The police, who were in the area, managed to corner one of the gunmen, and he was shot and killed, while the other man escaped.

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, Morgan was at home with relatives in Norwood when he went outside into his yard. Moments later, the relatives reportedly heard explosions in the yard, and on investigating, they found Morgan suffering from gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at hospital.

heard explosions

Over in Barrett Town also on Saturday, residents reportedly heard explosions, and after investigating, Kerr and another man were found suffering from gunshot wounds. Kerr was pronounced dead at hospital, while the other man was admitted.

Meanwhile, Kitson was shot and killed in the Rhyne Park community by unknown assailants.

It is further reported that on Saturday evening, two men were shot and killed on Hart Street in Montego Bay, while another was stabbed to death in Sam Sharpe Square.

The St James police have so far not established a motive for any of the killings.