Two men were shot and killed in two separate incidents in Montego Bay, St James early Tuesday morning, just hours before Government declared a state of emergency in St James and the neighbouring parishes of Hanover and Westmoreland.

The deceased have been identified as 68-year-old Robert Gooden and 30-year-Christopher Reid, both of St James addresses.

Reports are that about 2:30 am, the police were summoned to the Barnett Lane area in Montego Bay where residents heard gunshots.

Upon their arrival, Reid was found near a shop, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Less than a hour after, the police were called to McCarthy Street in the city where Gooden was found lying along the side of the roadway suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper section of his body.

No motive has so far been established for the killings, which bring the total number of murders in St James to 53 since the start of the year.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a state of emergency for St James, Hanover and Westmoreland following an increase in serious crimes, particularly murders.

“After careful consideration and review of the crime statistics, in particular violent crimes which have been committed in south western parishes, the security forces have advised that the situation which now currently exists would warrant the Government advising the Governor General to proclaim a state of public emergency…” Holness said at an emergency press conference at Jamaica House.

A SOE was declared in St James in January 2018 and was credited with a 70 per cent reduction in murders in the parish when compared to 2017 when 335 people were killed.

With murders back on the rise since the SOE was lifted, Mayor of Montego Bay, Homer Davis and business leaders have on several occasions, called for the re-imposition of the emergency measure to stop the bloodletting.