Montego Bay, St James – Surviving relatives of eight persons murdered this year in Norwood near Montego Bay were presented with the sum of $221,000 by the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Northwest St James Executive.

The eight were killed during an upsurge of crime attributed to gang warfare between June and July in the troubled Norwood district on the outskirts of this northcoast resort city.

Clayton Morgan, vice-chairman of the constituency, said the executive chose to focus on the relatives of the eight persons murdered because of the vicious nature of the crimes and the short space of time within which the murders occurred.

“This particular series of murders stood out,” Morgan said.

The money, raised through the Norwood Relief Fund established in July, was handed to the Flankers Peace and Justice Centre (FPJC) for disbursement to surviving children and other relatives who lost their belongings during the spate of murders in which homes were also firebombed.

“As a result of these deaths, several children were left without a home,” Clayton noted. “The money will go toward helping with schooling and for persons who have lost their homes and clothing.”

Morgan said that the money was raised through donations from members of the PNP as well as the business community in Montego Bay.

The executive had initially suggested in July that the St James Minister’s Fraternal would handle the funds, however, Morgan said it was subsequently decided that the Peace and Justice Centre in Flankers was suitable as it had a record of impartiality.

“We want to be seen as transparent so we decided not to disburse the fund ourselves,” Morgan added.

Director of the Peace and Justice Centre Marilyn McIntosh Nash, who is also secretary of the Northwest PNP executive, was on hand last week to receive the funds. She said the centre would be working with pastors in the Norwood community to identify and select the persons who will benefit.

Meanwhile, Morgan said the fund would be closed st the end of the month and any remaining money would be handed over to the FPJC.

On June 8, gunmen invaded the Norwood community shortly after midnight and murdered Garrett Clarke, his wife Claudette and their neighbour, Nitonye Christie.

Then on July 4, gunmen again invaded the community, torched houses and killed five: Patrick Roy Anderson; his neighbour, Natalie Ferguson; Linda Malcolm, 57, and her common-law husband, Michael Montaque Snr, and their son Michael Montaque Jr.

Norwood now enjoys a certain level of peace with ongoing patrols in the area by soldiers and police.