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Few murder many
across the nation
Repeat killers are dan-
gerous! While they
represented only
2.1 per cent of
the inner-city
males inter-
viewed between
2004 and 2014
as part of a large
study on multiple
murderers, they
accounted for 70.5 per
cent of all the murders
counted by PEER (par-
ticipatory ethnographic
evaluation research) groups
in 86 districts throughout 28
inner-city communities.
According to data from the
National Intelligence Bureau (2000-
2014), more than 80 per cent of the
country’s murders are committed in urban
centres, especially within the parishes of
Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon
and St James. If 70.5 per cent of the murders
committed by the youth of the communities studied
were done by repeat killers, and more than 80 per cent
of the country’s murders are committed in urban centres,
the calculations from these data support reports from some
urban police divisions that repeat offenders account for
over a half of the murders they have to address. Hence, we
can say that the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s estimates
published November 15, 2015, in
The Gleaner
are correct.
Note that the threat gets worse when we focus on the
group described as ‘shottas’: though they represented a
mere 0.5 per cent (1/200) of the youth studied, they
accounted for almost a half (47.2 per cent) of all the
murders recalled by the young men. The calculations
show that on average, one of these ‘career killers’
accounted for the deaths of 13 persons. Given that inner-
city youth account for about 70 per cent of the country’s
murders, this picture implies that such a small group
could be responsible for a third of the country’s murders.
‘Shottas’ are somewhat different from other killers. All
the killers focused their attention on competing gangs or
communities (inter-community feud); however, the ‘shot-
tas’ were less likely to focus on killing their neighbours
(intra-community feud). They have very little to prove as
they are immensely feared by all on their corners. In fact,
most of their internal kills were described by the PEER
youth as ‘internal cleansing’ on behalf of the don.
Nonetheless, as professional killers they are called upon
to hunt the ‘big cheddar’ or take the greatest risks, and
this implies being twice more likely to kill persons out-
side their warring boundaries. In fact, of the eight con-
tract hits on upper-middle-class and middle-class victims
found in the study, seven were done by ‘shottas
‘Shottas’: Low
on feelings for
others but high
on getting
what they want at
any cost
Shottas represent an extreme case of persons who have
killed or are likely to kill.
In my long-term study (since 1994) of more than 200 repeat killers, shottas
have always displayed signs of psychopathy – a personality disorder charac-
terised by consistent antisocial behaviour, lack of empathy, bold or rash egotis-
tic traits, with extreme manipulative abilities. In simple terms, they are low on
feelings for others, but high on getting what they want at any cost. Having psy-
chopathic characteristics is not completely bad. In fact, neuroscientists often
remind us that one per cent of all humans have variations of these combined
characteristics. Some scientists have even suggested that the species needs
these selfish achievers; and that we actually admire many of them: ruthless race
car drivers, brutal but charming politicians, cold but successful lawyers, and
ultra-aggressive CEOs.
JUSTIFIABLE CAUSE FOR CONCERN
While a few of the successful persons with psychopathic tendencies have
killed in order to achieve, we have good reasons to be concerned about inner-
city young men who display these tendencies, as some have actually made a
business out of killing. Yet, it must be said here that many inner-city boys who
display these tendencies will still end up not killing. So what distinguishes a
person with psychopathic tendencies who has not killed or is not likely to kill
from one who does or is likely to do so?
There are 12 genes related to aggression and violence, but neuroscientists
often zero in on the MAO-A gene (monoamine oxidase A). Boys in ecologies
of violence often have a high variant of the gene in order to survive. This gene,
which has been the target of considerable research, is also known as the ‘war-
rior gene’ because it regulates serotonin in the brain. Serotonin affects one’s
mood and many scientists believe that if a person has a certain version of the
MAO-A, that person’s brain will not respond to the calming effects of sero-
tonin (Anholt and Mackay 2012, Fallon 2006). This problem can cause a per-
son to be more aggressive than normal.
PUBLISHED: JANUARY 30, 2017