A teacher and a taxi driver were gunned down in St James on June 19. The homicides have sent a wave of grief through the Montpelier community and sparked an active police investigation.
The victim has been identified as a 32-year-old local educator named Vanessa Williams. The second victim, 36-year-old Matthew Chin, operated a taxi service in the area, which they both resided in.
According to reports, the deadly shooting happened along Guinep Tree Lane around 10:12 p.m. Neighbours said they heard multiple loud gunshots and immediately alerted authorities. When police arrived at the scene, they found Chin inside his Toyota Voxy.
His body, slouching over the steering wheel, had visible gunshot wounds. Williams was discovered on the ground next to the vehicle, and she also had gunshot wounds as her body lay face down. The teacher and the taxi driver were transported to the nearby hospital. However, they were pronounced dead on arrival.
While the motive behind the attack is not yet known, law enforcement officials have confirmed that investigations are underway.
According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s latest crime statistics, St James has seen a sharp drop in homicides. From January 1 to June 14 this year, the parish recorded 23 murders, a steep decline from the 73 reported during the same period last year.
Local news outlet Nationwide News reported that the National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang, had recently pointed out that only one murder was recorded in the parish for the month of May, and Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels noted a single murder in February.
According to reports, Jamaica experienced notable changes in its crime situation this year. Although there has been a significant drop in serious crimes like homicides, new concerns have emerged. Authorities recently confiscated more than 230 illegal guns and over 40,000 rounds of ammunition in Kingston, underscoring the persistent problem of gun smuggling.
Experts continue to caution that the widespread availability of firearms remains a major challenge, as guns are involved in over 80% of murders in the country, many of which are believed to be trafficked from the United States.