MAN, 51, KILLED FOR OWING GANJA MONEY

MONEY owed for marijuana, police say, is the reason why shoemaker Crispin 'General' Thomas was shot and killed yesterday morning.

Thomas, 51, was shot in the chest around 4 a.m.  yesterday and his body found about two hours later on some steps at Freedom Street, Waterhole, Cocorite.

Police are working on information that Thomas, who was a small time marijuana smoker, owed money for drugs he had bought and was killed because he did not pay up.

Thomas, who lived not far from where he was killed, is believed to have gone for an early morning run when he was shot in the chest at close range with a shotgun.

Residents said they heard a gunshot around 4am.

Murders and shootings in the Cocorite area have increased over the past year and residents say they have imposed their own curfew.

"I really don't know what to say.  The police always in this area and they still robbing and killing people.

"Every night is gunshots.  You can't come out after eight and nine in the night." A relative of Thomas said.

There have been 124 murders for the year so far compared with 117 last year.

Yesterday there were three murders in two hours as has been the trend for this month.

When murders have been committed, either two or three people were killed in the same or separate shootings.

June has also recorded the most number of murders for the year - 23.

St James police are investigating Thomas' murder.