Concerns Over Increased Crime in Grange Hill, Westmoreland
The Commissioner of Police, Dr. Kevin Blake, visited Grange Hill, Westmoreland, on Friday, April 3, 2024, to address the recent surge in homicides and shootings. During his visit, Dr. Blake met with students and school administrators at Grange Hill High School following the shooting of two students, one of whom was fatally wounded, following a sports day event.
Dr. Blake urged the community to refrain from engaging in illegal activities and resist the influence of criminal elements. He assured that the police have intensified efforts to eliminate criminal activities in the area, including the deployment of Superintendent Othneil Dobson.
Checkpoints have been set up to apprehend criminals, particularly those using motorcycles for transportation.
Furthermore, the police have confiscated several motorcycles, significantly impacting criminal operations.
Dr. Blake emphasized the involvement of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch in safeguarding Grange Hill High School and the community to ensure the safety of students and children.
Man Fatally Shot After Allegedly Transporting Gunman in Montego Bay Shooting.
Street reports suggest that the man fatally shot in front of the Montego Bay fire station on Thursday, May 2, 2024, may have been targeted as retaliation for his supposed role in a St. James shooting over two weeks prior.
The deceased has been identified as 26-year-old Randane Vanhorne, also known as ‘Rasta,’ a former deliveryman from the Hurlock district in St. James.
Vanhorne reportedly fell victim to a barrage of gunfire from assailants, causing firefighters and bystanders to seek safety.
Unverified sources claim that Vanhorne’s image was circulated on a social media blog, accusing him of involvement in a Montego Bay shooting two weeks earlier.
Police reports state that around 9:42 p.m. on the night of Thursday, April, officers on patrol responded to loud bangs and discovered Vanhorne’s body with multiple gunshot wounds beside his grey 1996 Toyota Corolla on the roadside.
Vanhorne was taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he was declared deceased upon arrival.
Last month, investigators noted that a well-known social media account shared a photo of Vanhorne, alleging his connection to an incident on Sunday, April 14, 2024, where he supposedly drove Brandon Campbell, 23, from Pit Four to Irwin district in St. James, during which Campbell shot and wounded a man. However, an armed civilian intervened, resulting in Campbell’s death.
At the crime scene, authorities collected over ten 9mm shell casings.
Delivery Man Charged by Police After Co-Worker Stabbed at Workplace in Westmoreland.
WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — A disturbing incident occurred at Three Miles River in Frome, Westmoreland, last week, resulting in the arrest and charging of a man for the stabbing of his co-worker at their place of employment.
The individual charged with wounding with intent is 20-year-old Dwight Heath, a delivery man from St Ann’s Bay, St Ann. The victim, a 28-year-old man from Christiana in Manchester and also a delivery man with the company, remains hospitalized following the attack.
According to reports, an argument broke out between the two men around 10:00 pm while they were at work, leading to the use of a knife to inflict serious injuries on the victim’s left side of the lower back and abdomen.
The injured man was swiftly transported to the Savanna-la-mar Hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition. Subsequent investigations led to the apprehension of the accused, who reportedly admitted to the stabbing and was subsequently charged.
The accused court appearance date is pending.