Six-year-old and siblings ran for their lives as mother is killed
Crime takes centrestage at Clarendon Municipal Corporation meeting
We need to talk about the ripple effect and the scars that it leaves on the minds of our children.
ESCALATING CRIME in Clarendon and the killing of People’s National Party caretaker Carol Ebanks and her 20-yearold son, Jevon Myles, saw a motion for the suspension of the standing order of the municipal corporation in the parish to focus on the matter.
The meeting was told that Ebanks’ children, including her six-year-old, had to flee for their lives and hid in bushes.
Friend of the deceased former mayor Scean Barnswell, hit out strongly against what is taking place in the parish as he said that in November alone, 21 murders took place.
TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE
Declaring that the parish was left to the mercy of gunmen, Barnswell said, “... the time has come for Clarendon not only to be dubbed the second-highest murder parish, but I need to hear where ZOSO (zones of special operations) is now implemented and [to have one] put inside this parish.”
Barnswell lamented the exposure of Ebanks’ children – the youngest being six years old – to the horror that took place and having to listen to their mother’s screams as they hid in the bushes.
“The mother was shot while locking up [her grocery shop] and the children had to be running for their lives. It must be hard listening to the mother crying for her life as the last gunshot [was fired]. You tell me now how that six-year-old will feel every time she wakes up asking for her mother and can’t see her and nobody can tell her where her mother gone,” said Barnswell.
“We need to talk about the ripple effect and the scars that it leaves on the minds of our children,” he said, adding that crime now, was not a normal situation.
Barnwell also made the call for the police to establish an elite squad or a special force to deal with crime in the community.