Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter
A rash of murders in Westmoreland over the past six days, claiming the lives of three men, has left law enforcers busy as they seek to quell the blood thirst in the parish, which is under the cloak of a State of Emergency.
Two persons, including a woman, have been held by the police in connection with two of the killings.
The victims are 22-year-old security guard, Owayne Gardener, otherwise called ‘Own’ of Dalling Street, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland and Kensington, Welcome Hall St. James, Rohan Daley, also called ‘Papa’, of a Darliston, Westmoreland address and 27-year-old Kemar Williams, labourer of Prospect district, Burnt Savannah, also in the parish.
In the most recent of the incidents, which occurred on Saturday, the Savanna-la-Mar police report are that about 1:30 p.m., Gardener was at home with his girlfriend and children when he used an object to hit his girlfriend’s three-year-old son in his chest.
The child was later taken to his father and reportedly complained to him that Gardener had hit him.
The child’s father, accompanied by another man, came to Gardener’s house and confronted him. A dispute ensued, during which one of the men pulled a firearm and shot Gardener in the chest.
Both men made their escape on foot in the area. Gardener, in the meantime, was assisted to the Savanna-la-Mar General Hospital by residents, where he died whilst undergoing treatment.
The police report that a suspect was held in connection with Gardener’s killing.
Meanwhile, Williams was killed during a domestic dispute between himself and his girlfriend on Friday.
STABBED BY GIRLFRIEND
Police reports are that Williams was at home with his girlfriend when an altercation developed between them. It escalated into a fight and a knife was brought into play, which the woman used to stab Williams in the upper body.
He was transported to the Savanna-la-Mar General Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The woman was subsequently taken into custody. However, her name is being withheld pending further investigations.
The Western Mirror subsequently learnt that Williams was always beating upon the woman, who did not retaliate until now.
MOBBED
Meanwhile, Daley, who had featured several times on the Westmoreland police’s radar in connection with several shootings and robberies committed in the parish, was bludgeoned to death by an angry mob who accused him of attempting to rob – and shot and injured a bus driver on Thursday.
Reports indicate that about 9p.m., as the driver disembarked from the bus at his home, he was held at gunpoint by Daley, who demanded money.
The driver reportedly started to run, but was shot and injured by Daley.
An alarm was raised and residents who became aware of the incident rounded up a mob which set upon Daley and bludgeoned him to death.
The police have not taken anyone into custody in relation to Daley’s death.