标签： Jamaica

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The investigation into Saturday’s deadly mass shooting at Brown University has entered its fifth day with no identified suspect or established motive, leaving authorities to pursue a critical witness who may hold vital clues.

Providence Police Department intensified their public appeal Wednesday, releasing surveillance images of an individual clad in a grey hoodie and dark overcoat who was reportedly ‘in proximity’ to the suspected gunman during the attack. Chief Oscar Perez emphasized this unidentified person likely possesses ‘relevant information’ crucial to advancing the case, noting they were ‘close enough’ to the suspect to warrant immediate questioning.

The tragic incident unfolded when an armed assailant stormed an examination hall at the Ivy League institution, fatally shooting two students before escaping. The victims have been identified as Ella Cook, vice president of Brown’s Republican Party association, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an aspiring neurosurgeon from Uzbekistan. Medical officials confirmed one survivor remains in critical but stable condition, while five others are stable and two have been released from hospitalization.

Complicating the investigation, the university’s security infrastructure has come under intense scrutiny. It was revealed that none of Brown’s 1,200 security cameras were integrated with police surveillance systems, prompting sharp criticism from former President Donald Trump and others regarding campus safety protocols. University administrators issued a detailed response acknowledging that camera coverage doesn’t extend to all areas of their 250-building campus.

This shooting marks one of more than 300 mass shootings recorded in the United States this year by the Gun Violence Archive, occurring against a backdrop of continued political gridlock regarding firearm access restrictions. Authorities have warned the public against circulating AI-generated images related to the case, which could potentially hinder investigative efforts.

Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has reaffirmed its commitment to restoring electricity to the majority of households impacted by Hurricane Melissa before Christmas, despite confronting severe infrastructural damage and logistical hurdles. Corporate Communications Director Winsome Callum confirmed the utility provider remains on schedule to energize most communities across multiple parishes by the holiday, with fewer than 50 customers expected to remain off-grid in regions including St. Catherine, Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Ann, St. Thomas, St. Mary, and Portland due to accessibility constraints.

Parish-specific restoration targets reveal a varied landscape of progress. Clarendon has already achieved its 95% power restoration goal, while Manchester is projected to meet a similar benchmark. St. Ann and Trelawny are targeted for 80% and 75% restoration rates respectively by Christmas Day. However, the western parishes of St. James, Hanover, St. Elizabeth, and Westmoreland—which sustained catastrophic damage—require specialized recovery strategies focused on commercial centers and critical services rather than percentage-based targets.

Notable restoration milestones have been reached in key economic zones including St. James’s Elegant Corridor, Hanover’s Lucea Town and Sandy Bay areas, St. Elizabeth’s Black River Hospital and Treasure Beach locations, and Westmoreland’s West End Negril and Savanna-la-Mar districts. Despite these achievements, outage rates remain critically high in the most affected regions: Westmoreland (88% without power), St. Elizabeth (50%), St. James (43%), Trelawny (39%), and Hanover (36%).

The restoration effort faces multifaceted challenges including extensive damage to transmission infrastructure surpassing typical pole and line repairs, with substations and high-tension towers requiring complete reconstruction. Terrain accessibility issues force crews to employ manual labor techniques in waterlogged areas where heavy equipment becomes immobilized. Compounding these difficulties are incidents of wire theft and vandalism that deliberately undermine progress, alongside recurring outages caused by motor vehicle accidents damaging recently repaired infrastructure.

To accelerate recovery, JPS is deploying over 200 international line workers who will work throughout the holiday period. This reinforcement aims to achieve 90% island-wide restoration by January 15th, prioritizing both speed and safety in returning electricity to affected communities.

Jamaica’s tourism sector has initiated a major housing recovery effort to support workers devastated by Hurricane Melissa. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett officially unveiled the Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP) during a ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday, attended by sector stakeholders and the first group of beneficiaries.

The program’s immediate intervention involves distributing housing vouchers worth $100,000 each, funded by a $70 million allocation from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). These vouchers are structured into three targeted packages: Package A addresses roofing and minor repairs for quick home stabilization; Package B tackles significant structural damage including foundation issues; and Package C focuses on comprehensive building and interior repairs to restore full living conditions.

Minister Bartlett emphasized that THARP represents both immediate relief and long-term housing solutions. Following island-wide consultations, authorities have identified 100 initial beneficiaries, with approximately 700 workers expected to benefit from the first funding allocation. The minister reported strong early interest, with over 60 applications already submitted.

The program’s broader vision includes constructing fifteen permanent block and steel homes—five initially followed by ten additional units—for workers who lost everything in the hurricane. This initiative forms part of a larger $500 million social housing program announced in the national budget, with additional support coming from the Tourism Workers Pension Fund for workers lacking employer coverage.

THARP features a transparent digital application system through tef.gov.jm, allowing workers to apply online, select appropriate repair packages, and track their applications in real time. Eligibility extends to tourism workers aged 18-59, including permanent, contract, and self-employed individuals across all sectors—from hotels to craft vending, tour operations, and transportation services.

While covering all parishes, the program will prioritize areas most severely affected by Hurricane Melissa. Several beneficiaries expressed gratitude during the launch ceremony, sharing stories of destroyed roofs, flooded homes, and lost furniture. The initiative operates as a public-private partnership separate from national housing programs, with expectations to eventually assist up to 20,000 tourism workers nationwide.

Residents across western Jamaica are confronting a holiday season overshadowed by destruction and hardship following Hurricane Melissa’s catastrophic passage in late October. Multiple communities report extensive damage to homes and businesses, with many families facing Christmas without electricity, adequate shelter, or means to sustain their livelihoods.

In the Burton district of Lacovia, St. Elizabeth, Jerome Thompson and his partner Atasha Bennett described their severely damaged home where the roof was completely torn off and furniture destroyed. With five children including twin boys, the couple urgently requires building materials and cement to address structural damage and persistent leaks. ‘Our living conditions have become unbearable without electricity,’ Bennett stated, emphasizing the family’s discomfort and displacement.

Similarly affected is Roy Hutchinson, a double amputee and small business owner in Rocky Hill who operates a tire repair shop and poultry operation. Hutchinson reported substantial business losses due to the prolonged power outage, preventing him from conducting basic repairs or preserving his poultry stock. ‘I lost approximately one hundred chickens—some perished during the storm, others I had to distribute within the community,’ he explained. Despite organizing a fundraising event scheduled for December 19th, Hutchinson acknowledged the ongoing challenges of high feed costs and diminished customer activity.

The hurricane’s impact extends to elderly residents like 64-year-old Hortense Ford of Parottee, whose two-bedroom home—originally provided by charity organization Food For The Poor—was completely destroyed. Now residing temporarily with relatives, Ford emotionally recounted losing all her possessions and facing Christmas without employment or financial resources. During the storm, Ford, her daughter, and two grandsons narrowly escaped rising floodwaters that inundated their coastal community. She expressed desire to relocate to safer ground near the roadside rather than rebuild on the flood-prone property.

Despite these dire circumstances, glimmers of resilience emerge. Hutchinson noted his gratitude for life and health, stating: ‘I remain thankful that I can still move around and function daily.’ Community solidarity has manifested through shared resources and emergency shelter arrangements, though residents unanimously emphasize the critical need for structural support, electrical restoration, and construction materials to rebuild their shattered lives.