PEOPLE’S National Party (PNP) shadow minister for science, technology and information, and Member of Parliament for St Andrew South East Julian Robinson has expressed shock at the brutal murder Wednesday night of 20-year-old Kimani Wright, an employee of the IBEX Call Centre in New Kingston, St Andrew.

Wright was among a group of employees who were held up by robbers in a car park on St Lucia Avenue shortly before 10:00 pm. The preliminary report said Wright was robbed of his cellular phone and shot by his attackers.

According to Robinson, he has been informed that young call centre employees in New Kingston, particularly women, were being targeted by robbers. He said Wednesday night’s fatal shooting was the second in the area this week, which has ended tragically in the untimely death of a young Jamaican with tremendous potential.

The PNP spokesman expressed condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased, whom he said must be facing a Christmas of grief.

He called on the police to move swiftly, not only to bring the killers to justice, but to ensure adequate protection for call centre employees in New Kingston and elsewhere, particularly those who work on late-night shifts. He said if these employees are not suitably protected, it could drive away workers and investors in the BPO industry.

“The technology industry is too important to the Jamaican economy in general, and the employment prospects for young people in particular, for marauding gangs to be allowed to wreak havoc by scaring off the employees and eventually the investors,” Robinson added.