Jamaica police detain suspects as investigations continue into murder of students

April 20, 2015 in Regional
14-year-old Ricardo Brisco, 14-year-old Raymond Givans and 15-year-old Alex Turner (Credit: Jamaica Gleaner)

14-year-old Ricardo Brisco, 14-year-old Raymond Givans and 15-year-old Alex Turner (Credit: Jamaica Gleaner)

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday April 17, 2015, CMC – Jamaica police said they had detained two men for questioning in connection with the murder of three students as the government urged the country to adopt a culture of peace and reverence for life.

Education Minister Rev. Ronald Thwaites said that the murder of the three pupils – 14-year-old Ricardo Brisco, 14-year-old Raymond Givans and 15-year-old Alex Turner – late Wednesday “emphasizes the vulnerability of our children

“There is such a tremendous obligation on behalf of principals and school leaders to instruct their students how to avoid the dangers that society places them in and also for us to all work towards a culture of peace and reverence for life,” he said.

The gunmen in Clarendon also killed Marquis Hamilton, 35, an accounting clerk at the Monymusk sugar factory.

Police said that two suspects had been detained late Thursday but the motive for the attack at the Monymusk Housing Scheme is still unclear

Investigators said the boys were on their way home from the gym when they stopped at a neighbour’s house to access the Wi-Fi service. It was there that they were made to lie face down and shot execution style.

Meanwhile police have offered J$500,000 (One Jamaica dollar =US$0.008 cents) reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers.

Police Commissioner Dr Carl Williams also issued a warning to the criminals, charging that they would be pursued and brought to justice.

Her said the members of “JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force), are grieving because this is a tremendous blow to our efforts to rid the country and the communities, particularly this division, of violence.

“This however, has strengthened our resolve to ensure that we catch up with the criminals, these cold-hearted criminals who committed this dastardly act,” he added.