Homeless man dies after being set on fire

A $500,000 reward is being offered by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for information leading to the arrest of the killers who set a homeless man on fire on Monday.

Lionel Johnson died Monday morning at the Kingston Public Hospital as a result of injuries sustained.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie has condemned the murder of Johnson, who was set on fire along Heroes Circle.

“This is an absolutely savage act. While we still don’t know the motive for this heinous crime, the suffering that Mr Johnson would have endured, as well as the taking of his life, reflects for me the lowest level of depravity,” McKenzie said in a press statement.

Johnson was well known to the Kingston and St Andrew Poor Relief Department, which regularly supported him with food and boarding at the Church Street night shelter.

“No civilised society can allow acts such as these to go unchallenged and unpunished,” the report said.

The minister urged the homeless population to use the night shelters regularly, not only for food and hygiene but also for safety.

Reports are that sometime on Monday, the police saw Johnson on fire and rushed him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Kingston Central police are investigating the incident.