Grange Hill High closes after deadly gun attack on two students

By Prince Moore    

 

Classes have been suspended at Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland following Thursday's attack which left one student dead and another hospitalised with bullet wounds.

 

The two teenage students, a male and a female, were shot after leaving a fun day event at the institution.

 

The police say the students were attacked by two men on a motorcycle.

 

Superintendent Othniel Dobson, Commanding Officer for the Westmoreland Police, has confirmed that the male student was the target of the attack. 

 

"This incident is a continuation of gang activities affecting the Grange Hill police area. Our investigators are working on strong leads and we are confident that we will find the perpetrators," he said. 

 

Superintendent Dobson urged persons with information on the attack or any other incident in the Grange Hill area to give the information to the police. 

 

He said the lawmen are maintaining a presence in the area to ensure citizens' safety. 

 

Students will be attending classes online today.  

 

 

A teacher at Grange Hill High has said educators are fearful because of the level of violence surrounding the institution. 

 

"This is so traumatizing. It's scary. You go to work, you do not know who you are teaching, you do not know what will happen, even if you try to remedy a situation with a student, you don't know who may be coming for you. Even when you have their best interests at heart, you don't know who is a target, you just don't know," she lamented. 

 

"It is not easy going to work at Grange Hill anymore. It cannot be easy for anybody. These things can be avoided. This is too much, too much. We need some special intervention," the teacher pleaded. 

  

 

Meanwhile, Custos of Westmoreland Reverend Hartley Perrin said Thursday's deadly attack on students of Grange Hill High School is of serious concern.

 

Reverend Perrin said this violent incident is reflective of a level of indiscipline affecting the schools across the island. 

 

"Somehow we seem to have lost a grip of the situation as it relates to students. For while they are those who are busy preparing themselves for examinations and for graduation, there are those others who are not so sure of their future and are not so sure how to conduct themselves in terms of relationship with each other without violence," he noted.   

 

The custos called for urgent intervention to address the problem, adding that unless something is done, the future of Jamaican children is of grave concern.