Man’s shooting death first murder recorded in Mount Salem since the start of the year

The St. James Police reported that Thursday’s fatal shooting of 52-year-old Donovan Hayles, also known as “Pepper,” marks the first murder within the Mount Salem Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) since the beginning of the year. 

The incident took place on Campbell’s Lane, where Hayles, a mason from Green Pond, was reportedly carrying out repair work on a step with his spouse.

According to police reports, five men approached Hayles as he worked and opened fire, fatally wounding him. In a swift response to the attack, law enforcement officers apprehended two suspects and seized two illegal firearms.

Superintendent Eron Samuels, the Commanding Officer for the St. James Police, expressed that despite this tragic incident, the division remains committed to its goal of reducing murders by the year’s end.