Stolen ‘guard ring’ behind schoolboy's murder

The acting principal at the Trelawny-based William Knibb High School has reported that a fuss over a 'guard ring' was behind today's murder of a grade-10 student at the school.

Guard rings are often used by wrongdoers who believe they can protect them from their enemies as well as police detection.

Khamal Hall, the murdered student, was reportedly accused by one of his classmates of stealing his friend's guard ring. 

The William Knibb High School board is to hold an emergency meeting this evening in the wake of the killing, which happened five minutes into the lunch break.

Audrey Steele, the acting principal at William Knibb, said the wearing of guard rings by students has become a serious challenge.

"Many of these students are wearing these rings and we have quite a number of them that we have confiscated over time. I don't know what value they have placed on these rings but we are constantly taking them away,” Steele said. 

“This is what we are up against, and the more you confiscate them, is the more they come.”

Some of the rings bear the emblems of skulls and crosses.

Among the items confiscated by the school were two knives taken from two students who have since been suspended.

- Hopeton Bucknor

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