BY CLAUDINE HOUSEN
Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
ONE MAN IS dead and two women are nursing chop wounds following a brutal attack at the Salem Primary and Junior High School, in Beeston Spring in eastern Westmoreland.
Reports are that shortly after devotion yesterday morning, the school's clerical assistant, 28-year-old Ms. Sophia Bent was entering the school's multi-purpose room when her ex-boyfriend, 45-year-old Michael 'Fat Belly' Ebanks of Crawford St. Elizabeth, attacked her with a machete.
"The man entered from the rear of the building ... nobody was really paying attention," said one eyewitness who asked that his name be withheld. "When he came she was standing with her back to him and the acting principal (Mrs. Winsome McFarlene) was behind her heading in the same direction. The principal saw him coming and was about to call out to her when he used a machete to chop her on her left ear."
With Mrs. McFarlene out of the way, Mr. Ebanks reportedly made good on his attack and proceeded to chop Ms. Bent several times on her upper body, severing one of her fingers before fleeing the scene.
Mr. Ebanks was later caught by the irate residents of the community who then stoned and chopped him to death.
According to police reports, Mr. Ebanks was warned several times after he reportedly made threats on Ms. Bent's life when their relationship ended badly.
Ms. Bent was admitted to the Black River Hospital, in St. Elizabeth. Up until news time she was reportedly in a serious but stable condition while Mrs. McFarlene was treated and released.
In responding to the incident, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, Ruel Reid, issued a call to the government to provide minimum-security of a security guard and a perimeter fence at all schools across the nation.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to 
