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The family of four died after their house was firebombed on Tuesday morning.
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Denise Daley, Member of Parliament for St. Catherine Eastern and Assistant Commissioner Gary Griffiths, Commanding Officer for the Area Five Police
By Lorraine Mendez/Kimone Witter
Elected political representatives on Tuesday afternoon visited the community known as 'Compound' in Central Village, St. Catherine following the murders of four members of a family.
The bodies of a woman, her two daughters - one aged 13 - and her four-year-old grandson were discovered in a house on First Avenue.
Radio Jamaica News was informed that about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, explosions were heard and shortly after fire was seen coming from the three bedroom house.
Three of the bodies were found on the verandah and a fourth in a bathroom.
The police say three of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition, so the cause of death will be determined by post mortem examination. The fourth person is believed to have died from smoke inhalation.
Denise Daley, Member of Parliament for St. Catherine Eastern, was almost at a loss for words at what she described as a lack of respect for life and property by those who carried out the pre-dawn attack.
Calling the act "barbaric", she lamented that a four-year-old and a 13-year-old were among those killed.
"I don't know how to describe this and I hope whosoever and wherever they are right now, they recognise that we are coming. We are not going to stop until we get Compound in peace and unity and to obey law, because this cannot continue," she said, warning that she will not "preside over a constituency with so much lawlessness".
The police say security has been boosted in Central Village as the attack on the family of four Tuesday morning is suspected to be related to gang activities.
Ms. Daley echoed the sentiments of the police that the violence was gang related, noting that it was not politically motivated.
"They have turf wars, they have gang wars and that is how they are operating now. They want their own turf, they want their own gangs and people feel that they want to brreak away from here to go over there, and that is what is causing the problems," she insisted.
Councillor for the Greendale Division, Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott, also visited the area.
First Avenue in Central Village was featured in two other violent attacks on Monday morning.
A man was fatally shot and his house firebombed, and a woman was shot and wounded while sitting outside her house.
Assistant Commissioner Gary Griffiths, Commanding Officer for the Area Five Police, said there is no confirmation that the incidents are linked, but investigations continue.
The police are appealing to citizens to come forward with any information to assist the investigations.
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