National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang has indicated that he will be lobbying for legislation that ensures the protection of school compounds as well as imposes harsher punishment on domestic terrorists.

His comments come in the wake of 2 separate violent incidents at 2 schools, in St. Andrew and Manchester, yesterday.  

In the Manchester incident, at the Holmwood Technical High School, the bus driver, Rohan Gentles, was shot dead by a gunman.

And in St. Andrew, at the Rousseau Primary School, a parent, Deshawn Newry, dropped off his daughter and upon returning to his vehicle, was set upon by gunmen who shot and killed him.

Dr. Chang, who visited Holmwood yesterday, lamented that criminals, especially those deemed contract killers, now view schools as soft target areas because educational institutions do not usually have police presence nearby.

The minister said measures will be taken to better protect school premises from criminals.

He added that persons who carry out killings at schools should be designated domestic terrorists and tried for capital murder.