MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The Area 3 (Manchester, Clarendon, St Elizabeth) police have confirmed that the shooting death of long-time Manchester businessman, Michael ‘Mal’ Levy, yesterday morning has pushed the murder tally in the parish since the start of the year to 21.

Police investigators up to yesterday were still uncertain of the motive for his killing.

According to police reports, Levy, 65, on his way from an event in Clarendon around 4:00 am stopped at another in the community of Comfort in Central Manchester, a few miles east of Mandeville.

He reportedly went a short distance from the venue to turn at a gate when the incident occurred.

Levy is known for businesses such as a shopping plaza in Mandeville.

News of his death spread quickly in the community.

Michael Hogarth, the owner of a fruit business in Levy’s Plaza, reportedly owned by members of the Levy family, said that he travels often but whenever he is in Jamaica he is a frequent supporter of his products and service.

“That’s how he is. He likes to support especially people who support him. He is a pleasant man. I am very distraught. I did not expect to hear this happening to him,” he said.

Another community member said that he was a man who relates comfortably with people of all social class.

“He was a man you could respect. He did not look down or talk down to people,” she said.

A family member told the Jamaica Observer that it was the recent funeral of another well-known businessman, Trevor Meikle, that brought Levy home a few months ago and he stayed on a bit longer due to family engagements.

Meikle, 76, was pounced upon by gunmen on Battersea Drive in Ingleside, Mandeville, in April during a widespread power outage, as he walked back to his car after taking his daughter from the airport to her home.

Two people are charged in relation to that murder and the matter is now before the court.

Custos of Manchester Sally Porteous believes, that as a country Jamaica is “way passed” only putting criminals in jail and sentencing them and reiterated her call for the death penalty to be enforced.

“These are pathological killers. They do not feel anything. Our people are living in fear, our people are depressed,” she said.

In a statement yesterday, president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Garfield Green, said that one life taken illegally is one too many.

He said that it will need the “full attention” of stakeholders, including the police, citizens and appropriate Government policies to address the situation and for Manchester to grow.

“We want to brand the parish as a place to live, do business and socialise and a few cannot do it,” Green said.