MAN, 51, KILLED FOR OWING GANJA MONEY

MONEY owed for marijuana, police say, is the reason why shoemaker Crispin
'General' Thomas was shot and killed yesterday morning.

Thomas, 51, was shot in the chest around 4 a.m. yesterday and his body
found about two hours later on some steps at Freedom Street, Waterhole,
Cocorite.

Police are working on information that Thomas, who was a small time
marijuana smoker, owed money for drugs he had bought and was killed because
he did not pay up.

Thomas, who lived not far from where he was killed, is believed to have
gone for an early morning run when he was shot in the chest at close range
with a shotgun.

Residents said they heard a gunshot around 4am.

Murders and shootings in the Cocorite area have increased over the past
year and residents say they have imposed their own curfew.

"I really don't know what to say. The police always in this area and they
still robbing and killing people.

"Every night is gunshots. You can't come out after eight and nine in the
night." A relative of Thomas said.

There have been 124 murders for the year so far compared with 117 last year.

Yesterday there were three murders in two hours as has been the trend for
this month.

When murders have been committed, either two or three people were killed in
the same or separate shootings.

June has also recorded the most number of murders for the year - 23.

St James police are investigating Thomas' murder.