WESTERN BUREAU:

Five suspects have been detained in connection with the murder of four members of a St. James family and the wounding of three others during an attack in Retirement, St. James, on the weekend.

The men were taken from a bus transporting Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters from the party's conference in Kingston, along the Rose Hall main road in the parish on Sunday night.

Their names are being withheld pending identification parades.

"When these unfortunate incidents occur we must bring the killers to justice and the police with the help of community, in this case, have been able to do just that," said divisional commander, Superintendent Warren Clarke.

"We know that they (the suspects) are aligned to the Killer Bees gang out of Granville that has been dismantled as the gang leader is in custody."

Forty-three-year-old Lyris Ellis-Johnson was gunned down along with her 17-year-old daughter, Kaya Wilson; son Kirk Wilson, 19; and her stepson, 15-year-old Troy Johnson.

Kicked off door

Reports are that about 10 p.m. on Saturday three gunmen kicked open the door to the Johnsons' residence as the family watched television. The men opened fire hitting seven persons, including Mrs. Johnson's husband and her two sons, aged 14 and 10. However, the father managed to chop one of the attackers on the leg.

The criminals then took Mrs. Johnson's two-year-old grandson outside and demanded that his mother, who is believed to have been their target, come for him. He was subsequently left on the doorsteps of his grandaunt, who lives nearby.

"About eight persons are behind the attack. We want to appeal to Granville and the wider community to assist us with information towards the capture of Viz Reid, Yohart 'Parrie' Moodie and a man known only as 'Silly Billy'," said Superintendent Clarke.

The officer also noted that his men were fervently pursuing "Eldon Calvert and Orett Grant" for questioning in relation to last Monday's triple murder in Salt Spring, St. James.

"We want to assure the residents of Granville, Salt Spring, the wider St. James and Jamaica, that we will consistently pursue these suspects until they are caught," the superintendent noted.