Minister Holness Visits Ferncourt High after Killing of Student

Minister of Education, Hon. Andrew Holness, has said that the police should investigate the parents of all the persons linked to the killing of a student of Ferncourt High, St. Ann, on the school premises on Wednesday (October 21).
“In this particular instance, I think that the police ought to investigate the parents, as well,” Mr. Holness told parents and teachers at the school Thursday (October 22). He was visiting the institution to gain firsthand knowledge of the murder and to express his regrets at the incident.
“It is my view that the court should consider whether or not the negligence of the parents led to the death of this young man,” the Minister said.
Mr. Holness stated that some of the information coming from the police, about the incident, needed to be examined, carefully, and that even the parents of the victim should be investigated.
“I think, as well, that we should consider whether or not the parent of the child who died, and my heart goes out to her, but we need to look at her circumstances, as well,” he suggested.
He explained that the Ministry of Education has provided schools with guidelines for security and safety, including access, weapons, contraband, movements and gatherings and, from all indications, Ferncourt High was largely observing those rules. He noted that the incident was being treated as an invasion of the school.
“From what we have learnt from various reports, the perpetrators entered the school during the free entry period, when it would be difficult scrutinise and determine students who belong and students who don’t belong,” he informed the meeting.
He revealed that the reports also suggested that the person, who allegedly committed the crime, was wearing the identifying marks of the school on his uniform that would suggest that he is a student of Ferncourt High.
“It suggests a certain (level of) planning and premeditation to the action, which speaks to a determination to commit the crime. But, it also shows that something went wrong with those young men from the level of the home and the parents,” he observed.
He added that information made available to him by the police was that the boys allegedly involved in the killing had police records, and that their parents had been notified about their behaviour.
“The genesis of the conflict that sparked this incident which led to the death of the young man originated outside of school. It started in the community. They were associated with various gangs,” he disclosed.
A 16-year-old student of Ferncourt High School, Claremont, Garon Jones, of Steer Town, was stabbed to death on the school’s premises on Wednesday, allegedly by a student of Marcus Garvey Technical in St. Ann’s Bay. The police are seeking the Marcus Garvey Technical student, as well as a cousin of his who is said to attend Ferncourt High.