There was a spate of shootings and murders over the weekend, capping a busy 72-hour period for the island’s security forces.

According to the latest crime statistics published by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), 65 persons have been murdered up to January 27 since the start of 2024, a 20 per cent decline when compared to the corresponding period last year. However, shootings, shooting-related injuries and robbery reports have increased, while there is a decline in rape and break-ins year on year.

The St James division leads the way with 12 murders, followed by St Ann with eight and St Catherine North with seven.

There was an 18.8 per cent increase in shootings, soaring from 64 in 2023 to 76 for the corresponding period in 2024. The police division of St James led the way with 10, followed by St Andrew North with nine and Westmoreland with seven.

Further, more persons were shot and injured this year than the corresponding period last year. This year, 64 persons have been shot since the start of January when compared with 52 over the same period last year.

These dynamics played itself over the last weekend with more shootings and injuries. It was a bloody weekend.

On Thursday evening last week, two men, including a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), were shot at Tastee restaurant on Half-Way-Tree Road, Kingston 5.

One of the men, 35-year-old Rowland Sawyers, a factory worker of Iron River in Golden Spring, St Andrew died while being treated at the hospital. The JDF member was admitted.

On Friday night, nine-year-old Shamar Walker, a student from Railway in May Pen, was gunned down during an attack at a shop on Church Street in May Pen. A 29-year-old female vendor was injured during the incident.

On Saturday morning, five persons including a female were shot and injured by gunmen at a party on Barracks Street in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. The incident happened shortly after 1 am.

Additionally, also on Saturday morning, a man was shot and killed at a Mother’s restaurant in Ocho Rios, St Ann. Police reports are that sometime after 2:00 am, the now-deceased was involved in an argument between men in the restaurant, which then escalated into a brawl. During the melee, the man was shot in the chest.

Meanwhile, there was a string of shooting incidents in Nannyille, St Andrew on Saturday which left two men dead and a policeman injured. Reports are that one person was shot dead in the area around 4:00pm. The second shooting, which left the other person dead in what is believed to be a reprisal killing, occurred about 8:00pm. About 9pm, police were responding to the earlier shootings when they were attacked by gunmen; a shootout ensued and the cop was shot.

– Claude Mills