00:00The grief was palpable.
00:06Relatives of Jarelle Kelis wept openly at the crime scene at Basement Road, Malik Parataria
00:11this morning, where he was shot and killed together with his cousin Kimo Kelis, who later
00:16passed away at hospital.
00:19They became the country's 42nd and 43rd murder victims, as gang violence continues to pervade
00:25the land.
00:27The prison killings occurred shortly after 8am in front of Roxanne's Learning and Child
00:31Care Centre, perched on top of the Basement Road intersection in Malik.
00:37Investigators told TV6 News that the two gunmen came out of a vehicle parked a short distance
00:42down the hill from the centre and walked up to the men and opened fire, while other bystanders
00:48were also in the vicinity.
00:50Jarelle Kelis was shot multiple times and died on the roadway mere metres from the entrance
00:55of the child care centre, while his cousin Kimo ran into the child care centre as he
01:01was shot several times and died later at the hospital.
01:05In the melee of gunfire, as the gunmen attempted to hit their target, who police confirmed
01:09was Kimo Kelis, a known gang member, a four-year-old child was shot in the foot and two other adults
01:16identified as Joseph Colin and Adina Jackson were also wounded.
01:21Police say the child and other injured persons were rushed to the hospital, where they were
01:25treated and remain in stable condition.
01:28Minutes after the killings, relatives of several of the children rushed to the day care centre
01:32to take their preschoolers home.
01:34These youngsters unable to comprehend the danger that only moments before existed outside.
01:41Staff at the school also appeared dazed, as Senior Superintendent Mervyn Edwards of the
01:46North Eastern Division told TV6 News that they would be offered counselling.
01:52Many of the residents in the area expressed shock and fear within the latest killings
01:56and said that gang rivalry is becoming more intense in this area.
02:01Only four months ago, Junior Joseph was shot and killed at a house just opposite the child
02:06care centre.
02:07Edwards, who issued a voice note following the killings, warned that criminals were not
02:12safe anywhere.
02:13To the criminals, I urge you to desist, stop what you are doing.
02:18A few of you are trying to unleash terror on the community.
02:22The North Eastern Division, under my supervision and leadership, will continue to attack you,
02:28to relentlessly pursue you and bring you before the courts of law to be dealt with.
02:35Investigators say they will not only be relying on the security cameras mounted above the
02:39child care centre and helping them to piece this double homicide together, but are also
02:45hoping that these CCTV cameras just down the hill from the shooting will also assist
02:51them.
02:52Senior Police Intelligence sources told TV6 News that Kimo, who is affiliated with the
02:56Seven Gang, had been a target for several months now and a sum of $1 million had been
03:02offered for his head.
03:04Sources say that Kimo had been fingered in the killing of a rival gang member some time
03:07ago and based on the information he received, the brother of that rival gang member who
03:12resides abroad, ordered the million dollar hit.
03:16Kimo had been released on bail last year and Senior Superintendent Edwards said he was
03:20a firearms and drug offender and was known to the police.
03:24Mark Besant, TV6 News.
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