By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

TWO WOMEN are dead and two men are in critical condition after they were shot hours apart early yesterday, pushing the country’s murder count to 76 for the year.

The first murder took place around 2:30am off Baillou Hill Road. Police say a woman was shot in the head by two men attempting to steal a motorcycle on which she was a passenger.

Superintendent Paul Rolle, officer in charge of the Central Detective Unit, said police initially thought they were going to the scene of a traffic accident, but when they arrived they found the victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound in her head.

“Preliminary information is that she and her male companion were on a trail motorcycle when persons in a grey Nissan Tida pulled alongside them and hit the female who was on the back. She fell off the back (of the cycle),” he said.

“The driver of the car then struck the man who was riding the bike causing him to collide into a guardrail and he fell off. One of the occupants got out of the vehicle and took the bike.”

Supt Rolle said officers from CDU, Flying Squad and Mobile Division went to a residence in Yellow Elder Gardens where the bike and the Tida were recovered. They also took a 24-year-old man and 31-year-old woman into custody in connection with this matter.

Police have not identified the murder victim, but The Tribune understands she is Nadia Cartwright. The male driver was unharmed.

An hour later, police were called to the scene of another murder, this time in the East Street area.

Supt Rolle said a woman, who was identified as Latoya Williams, was standing at the door of her nightclub, C J Night, when she and another man were shot.

He said: “We got reports of a shooting on Cordeaux Avenue. When we arrived we saw a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. What we do know is that two men were involved in an altercation when one of the men left after the argument, but returned a short time later and attempted to gain entry into the club.

“Persons recognising him prevented him from going in. At this point he produced a weapon and fired into the establishment hitting a young woman, the owner, who was standing at the door in her chest. The other young man who was standing there was hit in the hand and abdomen. They were both taken to hospital where the female died of her injuries around 5am.”

Supt Rolle said officers “locked down” the Accident and Emergency Section of the Princess Margaret Hospital for a short time after this shooting.

“A number of persons went into the hospital and rushed the A & E section disrupting them from performing their duties,” he said.

“So we dispatched a large contingent of officers to the hospital to provide coverage for the authorities and bring calm to the situation. We think the persons were relatives of the injured parties. We are urging persons to exercise calm and allow

the medical staff to provide the assistance to try and save lives.”

Around 3:30am, police were called to the scene of a nightclub on East Bay Street. They found a 20-year-old man of Nassau Village with gunshot wounds in his back. He was taken to hospital.

The shootings came just hours after a man, Brandon Russell, 23, was shot and killed around 9pm in the Chippingham area. He was found at Ronald Avenue, off Eden Street, with multiple gun shot wounds.

Police are also investigating what they believe is an attempted armed robbery of a web shop employee who was carrying a money bag from the gambling operation. Around 8:30am, two gunmen shot at the victim’s car and then took a box of personal items mistaking it for cash.

The victim died at the scene.

Anyone with information on any of these incidents is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.