Member of Parliament [MP] for Kingston Central, Donovan Williams, has made an impassioned plea for parents to take control of their boys in order to prevent them from turning to a life of crime.

The first term MP has also promised to personally offer help and that of his constituency office with school fees and other necessities in order to keep the youngsters on the straight and narrow.

Williams was speaking during a visit to the Text Lane area of his constituency on Tuesday, one day after the community was hit by tragedy when six-year-old T’mora McCallum was shot and killed during what has been described as an accidental shooting.

It is alleged that a man was cleaning an illegal gun when it went off and hit the St Aloysius Primary student. The suspect has since been admitted to hospital under police guard after he was reportedly set upon and severely beaten by an angry mob in the community later Monday evening.

“I want to say to parents…take control of your boys. Take control of your teenagers. Get them in school,” Williams pleaded with residents.

Williams took charge of a constituency plagued by gang violence following the September 2020 general election when he won the seat on a Jamaica Labour Party ticket. He urged parents to keep their boys under their wings.

“Extricate them from this love affair with the guns and the gangs. That’s the only way we’re going to save our community. Cooperate with the police, talk [provide information to the police]. Don’t wait till it [the violence] come to your house,” said an emotional Williams.

“We have to save our communities, it cannot continue like this,” he declared.

Williams pointed out that decent, law-abiding citizens live in the constituency. He urged them to “rescue those who are vulnerable or else we’re going to lose this generation”.