Dear Editor,

The heinous nature of the murders being committed locally has left us all numb with shock.

We are excelling in athletics locally and internationally but failing in the simple matter of peaceful co-existence.

Some questions arise:

1) Were these perpetrators not taught that it is wrong to harm another person?

2) Were these perpetrators not taught that doing wrong has consequences?

3) What were the influences to which they were exposed which caused them to inflict violence upon others?

4) What were the influences to which they were not exposed which would have assisted with curbing violent tendencies?

5) Why would they deliberately kill innocent children?

6) Are they on drugs, including ganja? I dare say every person in Jamaica has a family member or a friend who became psychotic whilst using ganja so this deserves serious study.

I am certain that there are other questions which need to be raised and answered, but I am urging serious, urgent study of these violent crimes so that we can, as a society, decide on courses of action which ought to be implemented.

Shirley Richards

sprichards82@yahoo.com