Triple murder: The killings bring the country’s total to 102 this year

After three people were shot dead on Monday, bodies were taken from the scene on Step Street in Fox Hill. Photo: Nikia Charlton

Author: KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune staff reporter

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THREE men were murdered in Fox Hill yesterday, taking the number of murders this year into triple digits.

Following the killings, which took the murder toll to 102, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander renewed his call for tighter bail conditions for people accused of murder, saying the gunman had targeted one.

He revealed that 178 men are currently out on bail for murder and many of them engage in cycles of retaliation.

“If we don’t put some of these people behind bars, others will die,” he said. “We don’t want innocent people to get involved in this case.”

Three men were killed in the shooting on Step Street just before 4 p.m. at a roadside garage. Police said three masked men armed with high-powered rifles opened fire from a gray vehicle, targeting a man who was on bail for murder. The man survived and is currently in custody for questioning.

Yesterday, spectators gathered quietly behind yellow tape at the scene, and a worried mother asked officers whether one of the victims could be her child.

“Does that mean I have to stay up all night worrying about whether it’s my baby?” she asked.

Commissioner Fernander expressed relief that no children were harmed in the attack, which took place in a densely populated area. He called the shooting “very brave” and urged the public to be careful with their connections, saying even being around criminals could make them targets.

The commissioner urged property owners, especially those renting their homes through Airbnb, to be vigilant as criminals may use these properties to hide.

“They may send someone else to rent it, but you can find people who hide, go out to commit crimes and come back to these places,” he said.

While the investigation into gang involvement is still ongoing, Commissioner Fernander assured the public that police would “burn out” those responsible.

“We will find them,” he promised.

He also appealed to residents to provide any information or surveillance footage that could assist the investigation. “If you see something, please say something,” he said.

Yesterday’s incident was one of the deadliest shooting incidents in years. In April 2021, six men were killed in a mass shooting on Jerome Avenue. The incident shocked the nation. The victims, who were reportedly attacked by armed men in a vehicle, were attacked shortly after one of them was released from police custody. Authorities called it a targeted act of violence. The police never charged anyone in connection with this incident.

In December 2013, a drive-by shooting in Fox Hill killed four people and injured several others. The victims were gathered at a community event when attackers opened fire from a passing vehicle.