The Government of Jamaica strongly condemns the gruesome and horrific murder of a 31-year-old mother and her four children including a toddler, in Clarendon this morning.

The horrifying murder of Kemisha Wright of Cocoa Piece, Clarendon, and her four children: Kimana Smith (15 y.o. girl); Shemari Smith (10-year-old girl); Kafana Smith (5-year-old girl) and little Kishaun Henry (and 23 months old baby boy), is an act of savagery, barbarity and brutality of unequal proportions.

Ms. Wright was a hardworking and honest young woman who was making a life for herself and her children.

The entire country is today feeling immense pain following these bloodcurdling murders, which show extreme contempt for the sanctity of life, and is especially devastated that young, innocent children were viciously cut down.

The murder of this family reflects the epidemic of interpersonal violence that bedevils our society and reinforces the need for us to continue to pursue a holistic approach to this disease of inter-personal violence in our society. Horrific murders such as these are shocking to our very core and we must finally resolve as a country to set aside differences and take every action necessary, in an all-of-society effort to save lives and eradicate violence at its root.

I express most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms. Wright and her children and commit to taking every step to finding and thoroughly prosecuting those responsible for these horrific murders.

I wish to assure the nation that the police are carrying out their investigations and we expect a breakthrough in the case in short order. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang will visit the community today, and the police are continuing their investigations with the Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, already on the scene. The Member of Parliament, Minister without Portfolio with Responsibility for Information, the Hon. Robert Morgan has also activated his internal support mechanisms to assist the family and community at this time.

In the meantime, state agencies including Child Protection and Family Services Agency, CPFSA, have been deployed to provide support. We urge anyone with information to come forward and assist in the investigation.