GRANVILLE, St James – Following three separate murders in the Granville area on Tuesday, Michael Troupe, the People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Granville Division, is threatening to quit politics as he feels helpless in stemming the wanton bloodletting in his division which has seen nearly 40 murders since the start of the year.

“I want to step down because I can’t protect the people. I am a councillor (who is supposed) to protect the citizens of Granville, not only to bury them but to protect the ones alive and it reach a stage that I can’t do that. So what’s the sense I am a councillor, it is better I leave it. I am the head of this division and if me fraid as a councillor what you expect the normal man to do?” he lamented.

The councillor, who noted that there was an exodus of residents from the crime-ridden communities of Granville, Retirement and Pitfour in the division, underscored the danger of entering these communities in which there are daily sporadic gunfire.

“When you are entering Granville, Pitfour and Retirement you are entering at your own risk. You may go in and don’t come out because it reach a crisis proportion now where gun fire morning, noon and night,” he said.

In the meantime, Corporal Elute Lewis Green, CCN liaison officer for St James, identified the three persons killed on Tuesday as 20-year-old unemployed Prince Kirkaldy of Retirement, St James; 50-year-old food vendor Tomlin Whitely and Rainford Reddie, both of Capture Land, Pitfour, St James.

According to Corporal Lewis Green, Whitely was gunned down on Tuesday night about 10:30. He was walking towards his home after work when explosions were heard. The police were called and on their arrival the food vendor’s bullet-riddled body was found along a dirt track near his house lying in a pool of blood.

About 30 minutes earlier Kirkaldy was at home with his common-law wife when heavily armed thugs kicked in his door and entered the house. The gunmen opened fire hitting Kirkaldy and his spouse.

They were both taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where Kirkaldy was pronounced dead and his common law wife admitted in serious condition.

The police also reported that about 5:25 am the same day Reddie was walking along the roadway when he was approached by a lone gunman who opened fire hitting him all over his body. He was taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, Councillor Troupe is claiming that the police are unable to protect the residents.

“Three deaths in one day. The police can’t protect you. You give them information until you dead it just goes to nought. So people stop giving information,” Troupe declared.

“I say to you that before you get your cup of tea in the morning, when you look into it is blood. When you go in the shower and turn it on is blood, when you wash your face is blood. Granville is covered in blood.”