Man, best friend and wife gunned down in early morning attack
BARBICAN, Hanover — Startled awake about 2:00 am by armed intruders who falsely claimed to be police, 29-year-old unemployed construction worker Omar “Champ” McDonald sat up in bed only to be shot 18 times.
About an hour later his best friend, 31-year-old shop operator Miguel Wilmot and his common-law wife, Veneisha Origgio, were also shot dead as they slept in another area of Barbican, Hanover, called Pumpkin Bottom.
It is not clear if both incidents are connected; however, both men were recently released after being taken into custody in connection with a burglary at a tourist attraction in the parish.
“We had a robbery [in June]… and it is alleged that they had something to do with it. We picked up Wilmot and the other one but we did not have enough evidence to keep them in custody, so we had to release them,” said a senior policeman on the scene Monday.
It was not clear if there was a connection between the robbery and the killings.
McDonald’s mother, who lives outside the parish and only identified herself as Ms Scott, said the killers appeared to be searching for a gun her son is said to have owned.
She said his murder has left her and her other children devastated.
“Mi cry from morning and mi have mi two sons ah town a cry, too, because they did not find anything on him or to seh him did shoot somebody,” she said.
Wilmot’s aunt, who gave her name as Donna and said she first met him only six months ago, was equally puzzled about what led to his demise.
“I want the police to come and investigate this or [find out] what the people see in the community. If they know anything they have to come out and talk because this is very strange. I don’t know where this is coming from,” she said.
“This lick mi hard. Mi never know seh dis would reach mi. Mi always see death eena other communities but it lick mi hard,” she added.
The lone female victim, Origgio, was arrested for possession of and dealing in ganja in July. She was reportedly given bail on the same day. She leaves behind four children; the youngest is about to start primary school.
Councillor/caretaker for the Sandy Bay Division Naverine Brown (Jamaica Labour Party) spoke fondly of Origgio, whom she said she knew well. She said she had played a vital role in an initiative to get children from the area back to school after face-to-face classes resumed.
“She was the one who brought us in and we brought in CDA (Child Development Agency), the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) and the MP (Dave Brown, JLP) to come in and talk to these children,” stated Brown.
“It is very sad that this has to happen. I was taken aback. The community has lost a very, very good soldier because she fought for the community,” she added.