EVEN IN the midst of a state of emergency, the country has recorded at least five murders in the past 24 hours with a Marabella woman being stabbed to death; two men being fatally shot in San Juan; and two brothers shot dead as a community feud in Mt Hope ended in bloodshed.

Apart from these incidents, there were unconfirmed reports of a man being gunned down by a hitman riding a bicycle in Cunupia and a man being shot to death in Hell Yard, Malick – both said to have taken place on Tuesday afternoon. The official murder toll as of October 7, was put at 281 as compared to 485 for the same period in 2024.

In the Marabella incident, even in her final moments, a mother of two was focused on her nine-year-old son's safety, mustering all her strength to urge him to run for his life.