By Licec Bastian

A weekend of violence in the country pushed the murder count for 2023 to 50.

Police are investigating the shooting death of a 28-year-old male and the death of a 65-year-old man who was beaten to death by a group of unknown males; police are also investigating a shooting incident that leaves a Chinese national in hospital.

According to police reports, shortly after noon on Saturday the victim of the shooting incident was at the rear of his home on Cascarilla Street, Pinewood Gardens when he was shot multiple times about the body by three men who emerged from a property at the rear of the home.

The victim, who was identified as Antoine Knowles, was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) by EMS Personnel where he succumbed to his injuries shortly before mid-night Saturday.

As for the death of the 65-year-old man, police are aggressively searching for a group of unknown males who assaulted the man sometime around 10:00 p.m.

Officers were summoned to a home in Malcolm Allotment east where the man had sought refuge after being beaten.

Emergency Medical Technicians responded and transported the victim to hospital; however he succumbed to his injuries sometime around 4:00 a.m. Sunday.

Meantime, 53-year-old Chinese national; a business-man in the East Street community was shot to the upper body on Sunday afternoon, while in his store.

The assailant, according to police entered the store shortly after noon, purchased an item and left.

He then returned shortly after armed with a firearm and shot indiscriminately into the store which resulted in the business-man being shot.

The victim was taken to hospital by EMT personnel where he remains listed in serious but stable condition.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating the persons responsible for these heinous acts Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991-3 or crime stoppers at 328-TIPS.