Rampaging criminals have picked up in 2018 where they ended in 2017 in the central parish of Clarendon after five murders were reported in separate incidents across the parish yesterday.

The youngest of those slain is a 17-year-old boy.

A 40-year-old farmer, a 23-year-old barber and a 37-year-old taxi operator were also killed.

All of the deceased persons were gunned down by unknown assailants.

This early upsurge of violence has prompted at least one group to condemn one of the killings in the parish.

Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge of Crime in Clarendon, DSP Norman Hamilton, says the murders occurred in multiple locations across the parish.

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The 17-year-old has been identified as Odane Baker. He was reportedly killed on Cemetery Road in the parish.

The police say residents alerted them after hearing loud explosions about 1:30 yesterday afternoon. On their arrival, Baker was seen suffering from gun shot wounds.

About 8 hours later, the police were again called to Cemetery Road, where 33-year-old barber, Fitzroy Joseph was murdered. Mr. Joseph was also found suffering from gunshot wounds.

A 40-year-old farmer shot is also among those killed. He was shot and killed yesterday morning. Dead is Franklin Morgan from Content District in the parish. Reports are Mr. Morgan was shot and killed at approximately 8 am yesterday.

According to the police, residents heard explosions and summoned them. Mr. Morgan was reportedly found laying on the roadway with gun shot wounds to the upper body.

The taxi operator who was killed is 37-year-old Orlando Beckford. The police say they were alerted after residents heard explosions in Hayes District about 8 o’clock last evening.

They say Mr. Beckford was seen slumped over the steering wheel of his car. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In a statement today, the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services, TODSS condemned Beckford’s murder. They say he’s the second taxi operator to be murdered in the past 24 hours. The news comes after 39 operators were murdered in 2017. The police are yet to identify the fifth murder victim.

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