(Jamaica Gleaner) A six-month-old baby has become the 96th murder victim in St James this year, following a shooting rampage that also left three other persons injured after gunmen struck in Norwood, St James, on Saturday night.
The dead child has been identified as Tira Thompson of a Hollywood address in Norwood. The injured persons include the child’s 23-year-old mother and two teenagers, 16 and 14.
Residents told The Gleaner of their concerns over the spiralling murder rate having reached their community as this incident is the latest in a string of violent attacks across St James over the past two weeks despite the ongoing state of public emergency in the parish.
“Mi know the baby from she born, and not only the baby, but mi know the mother, too, from she born, and mi neva expect fi see something like this a happen inna Hollywood,” one resident remarked.
“The young people dem a move like them crazy. Dem even a kill baby now, mi caan believe, and fi see seh soldier camp deh right dung the road. Back inna the days, Hollywood, Norwood, used to be a quiet place. We used to have a club inna the square wid over 100 memba, and all a we use to live like one, but all of a sudden, a pure gunman tek ova, a pure violence.”
Reports are that approximately 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, the 16-year-old and 14-year-old teenagers were among a group of patrons at a Wi-Fi bar in Hollywood Square when men armed with high-powered weapons drove up and shot at the patrons, injuring the two teens.
While making their escape, the gunmen went to the 23-year-old female’s house and opened fire on the occupants through a window, hitting the baby and her mother. All four victims were subsequently rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where little Tira was pronounced dead and the others were admitted.
