(Jamaica Observer) Montego BAY, St James — Prominent St James businessman Clinton Young was yesterday morning robbed and murdered by gunmen on his way to a bank to make a lodgement.
Young, who operates the Flagstaff Bakery in the resort city, was shot and killed a short distance from his business establishment on Barnett Street by two gunmen who robbed him of an undetermined sum of money.
The police said that, shortly after 9:00 am, Young was walking towards the bank, also located on Barnett Street, to lodge revenues from the weekend’s sales, when he was pounced upon by the gunmen who grabbed the lodgement bag.
A struggle ensued between Young and the two robbers for the lodgement bag when the businessman was shot.
The robbers escaped along Barnett Street, one of second city’s busiest streets.
He was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was declared dead.
A reliable police source told the Jamaica Observer that the businessman’s licensed firearm was not taken by the robbers.
Meanwhile, the killing has been condemned by many.
Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, who has been a friend of Young from childhood, cited the need for the police to maintain a stronger presence at strategic points in the city.
“My view is that we need to see more of the police along the main thoroughfares. I have noticed recently where there seems to have been a change in the strategy, where police officers are not located at strategic points anymore,” said Harris, who is the ruling People’s National Party councillor for the Maroon Town Division, in which Young lived.
“I will be speaking to the commanding officer in short order to ensure that the strategic positioning of our police are in place. It is all well and good to have so many detectives and so to investigate the act after, but we need more people to prevent the act. We really don’t want this kind of thing in Montego Bay at this time when Montego Bay is really looking much better and we are inviting business people to come and invest in the city,” he added.
Harris described Young as a generous community worker.
“He was an active community member; when somebody dies he would always supply the bread to the deceased family.
“He was so peaceful and quiet. This incident this (yesterday) morning is really a shock to me and leaves me, devastated at this time… losing such a close person to me knowing that he was the person he is. Even if the killer had spoken to him he would have assisted him in whatever way he can. It is a blow to me, the citizens of Maroon Town, and the entire Montego Bay at large.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Young’s relatives, including his cousin Marva Gracie, who was among the scores of people who gathered at the scene.
Recalling how she lost her mother around the same time last year, Gracie said Young had at the time pointed out his burial spot leaving some relatives puzzled.
“Last year my mother died, and we buried her, and he (Young) came and showed us the spot where he wants to be buried. He was such a jovial person… never expected this. Me nuh feel mi can feel worse than how I’m feeling now,” she said.
“I feel really bad. Bad,” she grieved.
While offering condolence to the family, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nathan “Natty” Robb revealed that the chamber is working assiduously to provide additional Closed Circuit television for the city to help battle crime.
“We are working towards providing additional CCTV for the police to monitor the city. The chamber stands ready to help the police to tame and subdue the monster that crime is,” Robb stated.
