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WESTERN BUREAU: A jubilant church service in Montego Bay, St James, was shattered by gunfire on Wednesday, leaving a choir member dead at the doorway as worshippers screamed “Jesus! Jesus!” and fled in panic. The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Cora Thompson, a member of the New Testament Church of God on Water Lane in St James, where she worshipped and sang on the choir. Thompson resided at Humber Avenue in Montego Bay with her 12-year-old son.
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The Government has signalled a firmer stance against rising violence at entertainment events, with Deputy Prime Minister and National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Chang warning that criminals will not be allowed to hijack Jamaica’s party scene. Making his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Chang pointed to what he described as “emerging trends” in violent incidents at parties, while insisting that the authorities are moving decisively to contain the threat.
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Changing Jamaica’s gun law to provide lesser penalties for possession of an imitation firearm is not enough if the “fundamental flaw” of possibly criminalising citizens for an object that cannot discharge a projectile is not addressed, a criminal defence attorney has asserted. Minister of National Security and Peace Dr Horace Chang announced in Parliament on Tuesday that new amendments to the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022 will be tabled “in short order”.
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The Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica (IMAJ) is raising concerns over what it describes as a lack of consultation with local contractors in the establishment of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), the agency tasked to lead Jamaica’s post-hurricane reconstruction.
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In a rare departure from Jamaica’s parliamentary tradition, backbencher and former Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte on Tuesday cut through one of the most consequential pieces of legislation tabled by the Government in recent times and told members of the executive bluntly – go back and “rework” the bill.
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Rainfall is threatening to delay islandwide reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa, as Caribbean Cement Company Ltd says its operations are being hampered by adverse weather conditions. The development could further slow repairs to damaged homes, businesses and public infrastructure, already facing setbacks from material shortages, limited labour, rising prices and increased transportation costs. Rainfall is also delaying progress on work sites, as the Meteorological Service of Jamaica said the inclement weather is expected to persist through the weekend.
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A former crime scene officer yesterday testified that he recovered multiple 9mm spent casings in the vicinity of Evans Avenue and Acadia Drive in St Andrew, where three men were fatally shot during a 2013 police operation. The witness, who is testifying via video link from overseas, told the Home Circuit Court under cross-examination by defence attorney Hugh Wildman that he retrieved 9mm spent casings from a yard off Acadia Drive, as well as from other points across the crime scene.
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Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President Mark Malabver is calling for an urgent national meeting involving key education stakeholders to confront the growing problem of violence in schools, following Monday’s fatal stabbing of a Seaforth High School student.
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A simmering feud between two teenage schoolboys, marked by repeated clashes, taunts and reports to authorities, erupted in deadly violence on Monday, with both families insisting that the teen’s death could have been prevented had both sides come together earlier to peacefully resolve the dispute.
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The mother of a three-month-old boy, whose body was found wrapped in a blanket in house in Rockfort, Kingston, on Sunday night, has been placed in a mental health facility as investigations continue into the child’s death. The child, identified by the police as Judah Shaw, reportedly had abrasions on his head. Relatives spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, saying that the development underscores long-standing concerns about the woman’s “on-and-off” mental state.