Teen thugs creating mayhem - 22 juveniles arrested for serious crimes in Westmoreland

A 14-year-old has been taken into custody by the Savanna-la-Mar Criminal Investigation Branch in relation to yesterday's gun attack in Russia in the parish that claimed the lives of a common-law couple.

The Westmoreland police said that the 14-year-old suspect is the 22nd juvenile to have been arrested in connection with serious crimes in the division since the start of the year.

Police said that the juvenile is believed to be one of four persons involved in the killings, which took place shortly after 3:30 a.m.

Chrissan Brooks,19, and Anthony Godfrey, 21, common-law couple, were murdered as they slept in their beds. A third victim remains in hospital in serious but stable condition.

Five children -- a two-month-old; a one-year-old, a two-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old -- were in the house. They managed to escape injury.

The common-law couple and other family members were asleep inside their two-bedroom board house when a group of armed men kicked open the front door and entered the dwelling. The men sprayed the room with bullet, hitting both Godfery and Brooks multiple times, killing them on the spot. The 19-year-old was severely wounded.

"What a wicked act! What a wicked act!," the mother of one of the deceased said. "Crissy and Tansuh' dem neva trouble people. A two a the nicest people you could a ever meet," the distraught woman stated.

"Mi caah believe seh dem cum really kill dem inna dem bed. Dem even almost kill the little pickney dem who did inna the house."

The police have not disclosed whether they have established a motive for the gun attack. The parish of Westmoreland has recorded 52 murders since the start of the year. This is eight more murders than the corresponding period last year.

-- Hopeton Bucknor