WILLIAMSFIELD, St Elizabeth — Police say more than 30 spent shells were found after a patron and a bartender were fatally shot at a bar Wednesday night in northern St Elizabeth.

According to the police, the bartender, 20-year-old Kishera Arscott, a resident of Ballard’s River in Clarendon, was killed on her second day working at the bar. The police named the second victim as Daine Morgan, 37, a resident and truck driver of Williamsfield.

A police report said about 10:30 pm, Morgan and Arscott were in the bar when armed men entered. Residents later reported hearing loud explosions and summoned the police.

When the police arrived Arscott and Morgan were found with what appeared to be gunshot wounds. They were taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

Head of the St Elizabeth police Deputy Superintendent Coleridge Minto reported that investigators are probing theories to determine the motive for the incident.

“The information we have so far, the female bartender that worked at this location, it was her second day working here. The gentleman who was killed is a resident of this community,” said Minto as he pointed out that Williamsfield is usually very peaceful and quiet.

“In fact, we have not had any major incidents in this community, so we are here supporting the residents and ensuring that this investigation will be speedy and swiftly [done],” added Minto.

He said the St Elizabeth Community, Safety and Security Branch (CSSB) will be providing grief counselling to members of the community.

“The residents are not accustomed to this kind of activity in their space and so we are ensuring that our CSSB team, supported by our station pastors and chaplain, provide the support. The gentleman [Morgan] had a number of children. Many of them who are traumatised out of this incident as well as children in this community, so we will be providing additional support to them. We will continue the investigation until we find the persons responsible for the gruesome killing of these two people,” said Minto.

Councillor Audie Myers (People’s National Party, Siloah Division) described the double murder as a sad day for the community.

“We don’t know the source or the reason. We leave it to the police to do their investigation. I know the man [Morgan]. I didn’t know the woman [bartender]. Irrespective of what happened, the incident is a sad day for the community,” said Myers.

Statistics from the police show that up to March 31, St Elizabeth recorded nine murders in comparison to six for the corresponding period last year.