Oksana Douglas (left) and Toni-Ann Thomas. - file photos

As part of the hunt for child killers, today THE STAR continues its series geared towards informing the public about the unsolved murders.

A reward totalling $100,000 is being offered for the arrest and charge of person or persons responsible for the death of our children.

Call Crime Stop toll free at 311. Full confidentiality will be maintained.

The police have blamed young men between the ages of 13 to the late 20s for the death of most of the island's children.

The police said, in the case of the gang violence, this is the age group that is responsible for the death of not just children but adults as well.

"We have found that this is the age group that is responsible for most of the gang violence. They see it (violence) everyday so it has become the norm for them," said Divisional Detective Inspector Altamont Campbell.

DDI Campbell is in charge of St. Andrew South which has three of the nine child deaths featured by THE STAR. All three deaths were due to gang violence. Of the nine deaths five are as a result of gang violence.

The three deaths in St. Andrew South are Oksana Douglas, Toni-Ann Thomas and Nicholas Baker. The murders of Thomas and Baker are still unsolved. THE STAR is attempting to solve the murders of all three children along with the murders of Jovaughn Williams, Sasha-Kaye Brown, Shanika Anderson, Sheneca Shakes, Shauna-Kay Legister, Oksana Douglas, Toni-Ann Thomas and Maurice Maxwell.

Williams was shot and killed in June 2004 along with his mother in Rose Heights, St. James. Sheneca Shakes and her friend Shauna-Kay Legister were found dead in a cane field in August last year. The youngsters were found dead a day after they went missing. Maurice Maxwell was killed as he sat on his verandah by a man who shot him in the head. Shanika Anderson was found raped and murdered on May 1 last year, a day after a man lured her away from the Coronation Market.

Toni-Ann Thomas was murdered after gunmen sprayed her Yorke Avenue community with bullets. Sasha-Kaye Brown was killed last year along with relatives when gunmen fired on her home and then set it on fire, while Douglas was killed during a drive-by in the Olympic Gardens area in December last year.

Interestingly, one of Douglas' killers was arrested in August and the police said his age fell within the 13 to late 20s age range.

"They get drawn into that lifestyle because its all around them. It's like reading the Bible. If you grow up in a Christian home where mommy and daddy read the bible you are going to read it as well. For them they grow in violence so it becomes a part of their life," he said.

He added; "We had a case where a nine-year-old boy was brought here for smoking ganja. When we investigated both parents smoked ganja in front of the boy so he picked up the habit," he said.

Other police divisions have said they have had similar problems. The police said until morals are restored then gang violence will still be a problem.

If you have info on the murder

Call: Crime Stop at 311