Glenroy Sinclair and Howard Campbell, Gleaner WritersTHE MONTH-LONG violence that has besieged sections of 'Dunkirk' in east Kingston continued yesterday as three members of a family were shot, one fatally, by gunmen in the Franklyn Town area.
While details of the shooting remained sketchy up to news time last night, reports are that the dead woman has been identified only as 'Magga', a housewife of Franklyn Town. Informed police sources said one of the injured was identified as 'Blackie'. The third person is said to be another female.
It is alleged that 'Magga's' death may have been linked to the death of her brother, Kenneth 'Luddie' Byfield, who was murdered also in Franklyn Town, last December by gunmen.
Further allegations are that the attack on the family may have to do with unaccustomed goods left behind by Byfield, in which his killers still have an interest, but are unable to locate.
31 MURDERED LAST WEEK
Thirty-one persons were murdered in Jamaica last week, according to the Constabulary Communi-cation Network (CCN). This is one less than the previous week.
The CCN's weekly crime statistics report, released yesterday, said 25 of the homicides were cleared up by the police but revealed that the motive for 22 of the cases are still undetermined. The gun was again the dominant weapon, with 26 persons losing their lives to firearms. Four persons died from knife wounds while the machete accounted for one murder.
According to the CCN, the police seized nine firearms while four were stolen.
Jamaica experienced a bloody 2004 with a record 1,471 persons murdered. Many of the murders were gang-related and took place in the St. Andrew South and St. Catherine North police divisions where troubled communities such as Olympic Gardens and Spanish Town are located.
Since the start of the year, more than 175 persons have been murdered.
