western bureau:

St. James' murder toll rose to 175 last night when three men were shot and killed by marauding gunmen in the community of Flanker.

Dead are 40-year-old Lloyd Campbell, cook shop operator, Garth Coke aka Wayne, taxi operator and mason and 20-year-old labourer Romain White aka Nyron.

Up to press time a large detachment of police were on the scene maintaining calm and conducting investigations.

Eyewitnesses told The STAR that at about 8 p.m. gunmen wearing vests and masks entered the community with high powered weapons. They reportedly started firing shots wildly in all directions.

The three men died instantly. Two men were injured and later taken to hospital.

"Look how dem tear off Wayne head," one woman sobbed as she looked at the bodies.

As she sobbed, a relative of one of the deceased swore revenge for the killings.

Dr. Horace Chang, Member of Parliament for North West St. James who was also on the scene declined to comment on the shootings.

The triple murder comes on the heels of Sunday's double murder in which Errol Dixon, a 36-year-old taxi operator and shopkeeper Romel Reid, 42, both of Buck Toe Lane in Salt Spring were shot.

Residents say Reid went to Dixon's house and called to him to come outside, when he did, explosions were heard. Their bodies were later discovered. Reports are that both men helped to ambush policemen a week earlier.