ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica— Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Fayval Williams, called Tuesday’s murder of basic school teacher, 28 year-old Chanel Smith, ”barbaric and cowardly.”

Smith, who was employed to the Sandy Bank Infant School in St Elizabeth, was gunned down this morning, as she approached the school.

It is reported that just before 8:00 am, Smith was about to enter the school when one of two men, who were near the gate pretending to fix a motorcycle, pulled a gun and shot her several times. She was taken to hospital where she died.

“This attack in the precincts of the school while students and teachers were on the compound is particularly disturbing and represents an attack on the society as a whole. This is even more shameful considering that this is school attended by students at the early childhood level,” Williams said.

The ministry said that the Education Officer, Safety and Security Coordinator, Guidance Counsellors from Sandy Bank Primary and Infant and Mayfield Primary schools, the Sandy Bank Infant board members and the St Peters and Paul Anglican Church have rallied to provide grief counselling and support to the school family.