News

Four killed, illegal weapons recovered in separate incidents

By NAGRA PLUNKETT, Staff Reporter

Western Bureau: FOUR PERSONS WERE killed and four illegal firearms recovered in separate incidents between Friday night and Saturday evening in St. James and Hanover.

Richard 'Ponal' Bell, 18, of Joan Avenue in Glendevon, and Oniel Thompson, 26, a shopkeeper of Hendon, Norwood, both in St. James, were gunned down on Friday night in a spate of shootings between 10:45 and 11:30. Five other persons were injured, including a 17-year-old schoolgirl and a physically challenged man.

Prior to the shootings at approximately 7:15 p.m., two male residents of Rose Heights in Montego Bay were arrested for a .38 revolver and five live rounds. The police are withholding their names pending further investigations.

Early Saturday morning, a man was shot dead by a licensed firearm holder after he and two accomplices attempted to steal a Honda CRV and allegedly opened fire on residents at Tryall Gardens Housing Scheme in Hanover. He has been identified as Christopher Wright, 31, of Zion Road, Hopewell, in the parish. Police said at about 3:35 a.m. three men broke into the vehicle, which was parked at a house, and an alarm was activated. Residents reportedly went to investigate the cause of the disturbance when they were reportedly fired at. The firearm holder, who was among the group of citizens, returned the gunfire and the men ran in different directions. Wright was found about 5:30 a.m. in an abandoned building in the area suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the Lucea Hospital. The Sandy Bay police are investigating.

A 12-gauge shotgun was also seized by a policeman in Lethe, Hanover, on Saturday, at about 2:45 p.m. The lawmen were assisting workmen repair a wooden floor of a house in the district when the gun was found under a floorboard. It was handed over to the Montego Bay police.

Later that evening, Ian Campbell, 20, became the 103rd murder victim for St. James when he was shot dead in Hendon ,Norwood. Police say that at about 5 p.m. Campbell was standing with a group of men when another man walked up to them and began firing. He died on the spot and his killer escaped in a waiting Toyota Corolla motor car.

Arrested

Two men were also arrested in connection with the recovery of two illegal firearms in Montego Bay on Saturday. Charged with illegal possession of firearm and illegal possession of ammunition are Anthony 'Bounty' Johnson, 21, of Valley Heights, and Richard 'Starry' Christie, 37, of Glendevon.

Reports are that in the first incident, a police team went to a house in Valley Heights where Johnson's house was searched. A .357 Magnum revolver with 23 rounds of ammunition was found.

It is said that later, at about 8 p.m., during a patrol of the Glendevon area, Christie was seen in a barber shop and his behaviour drew the attention of the police. He was searched and a 9-mm Browning pistol with nine rounds was taken from him.