'This isn't the Wild West' - Illegal gun salute trend at funerals concerns south Trelawny

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

It would appear that Sunday's shooting incident in which a man fired several rounds into the coffin of his brother, who had killed himself after murdering his two young daughters, was not the only shooting which took place at the burial in Woodgrove district in Wait-A-Bit, Trelawny.

"Shots were being fired in a kind of 'gun salute' before the coffin was shot up," a resident told Western Focus. "I can't say who was firing those shots, but I understand it was a gun salute. Gun salutes at funerals are quite common in Trelawny these days."

In the shooting incident, which attracted national attention, the coffin of 34-year-old Kenville Mullings was shot up by his brother, who was reportedly angry with the deceased for killing the children following a domestic dispute with their mother.

Paul Patmore, the councillor who represents the Wait-A-Bit area in the Trelawny Parish Council, was among the many persons scampering to safety during the shooting. He told Western Focus that he was aware of the gun-salute situation and said it was a worrying trend that had been emerging.

"This gun-salute matter is a most worrying trend, and I am very concerned for the safety of the pastors officiating at funerals, funeral workers, and persons attending these funerals," said Patmore.

"This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue," added Patmore. "This Wild-West behaviour has no place among decent people."

POLICE TO INVESTIGATE

While declaring that he was unaware of gun salutes taking place at funerals in Trelawny, Senior Superintendent Noel Christie, who has been the commanding officer for the Trelawny Police Division since last October, has promised to investigate the claim.

"I have been in the division since last October, and I have not had any such reports," Christie told Western Focus earlier this week. "We will be investigating this claim, and if it turns out to be true, we will put the necessary measures in place to stop it."

Clearly concerned by the reports, Christie said he was inviting residents who had information of instances where there were gun salutes at funerals to report so that the appropriate actions could be taken.

"We are fully equipped to handle any such situation," the lawman said. "Going forward, we will be monitoring funerals in the area to ensure that no such practice is taking place."

One south Trelawny
resident, who spoke to Western Focus on condition of
anonymity, said she recently attended a funeral where armed thugs gave a
gun salute for a young man who had been killed in Kingston but was
buried in Trelawny.

"While they were lowering the
coffin, some men went under a nearby tree and fired several shots into
the air," the woman said. "It was quite scary, but nobody got
hurt."

Western Focus has learnt
that in recent times, several such incidents have been reported in
communities in south Trelawny.