A woman was killed on Wednesday night in St. Elizabeth after an unknown assailant opened fire on her near a bar. The victim, 36-year-old Latisha Green, was fatally shot near a bar.
Preliminary reports detail that the incident occurred shortly before 10:00 p.m. when Green was near a bar in Nain. An armed man suddenly approached her and discharged his weapon in her direction. She was shot multiple times, according to local news outlet Jamaica Observer.
A man who was nearby was also wounded during the attack. Green and the man were transported to the hospital. Green was pronounced dead upon arrival, and the injured man was admitted. The extent of his injuries was not detailed in the report.
His identity was not released, but Jamaica Observer said that sources confirmed the identity of the deceased female as a bar operator who also goes by Latty and resides on Third Street in the Lititz district.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and no suspects have been publicly identified as of Thursday morning. Though the parish has been maintaining a low murder rate compared to others across Jamaica, the sudden act of violence has stirred fear and confusion among residents.
Councillor Layton Smith of the Myersville Division, representing the People’s National Party, expressed his concern in the wake of the killing and expressed an urgent need for police intervention before there is an increase in murders.
“The murder in the division last night comes as a surprise,” Smith said. “We have to look at what is happening to make sure that we can keep the murder rate down.”
He also emphasised that the community had been calm in recent months, making the incident even more alarming. “It is a shock to the community, because nobody was looking for this,’ Smith added. “Things were quiet for months. Nobody heard anything about any violence within the area, and all of a sudden this comes out of nowhere, so it is really a cause for concern.”