The father of a St Ann schoolgirl is today nursing injuries in hospital after a knife brawl in the Ocho Rios Transportation Centre, with men who attempted to extort $50 from his daughter, left him wounded and two other men dead.

Information reaching THE STAR is that leading up to yesterday's melee, the schoolgirl was at the bus park on Monday when men approached her and attempted to bully her into giving them $50. A detective from the Ocho Rios Police Station said the youngster refused and was subsequently threatened by the thugs. The student then made a report to her father.

Reports said sometime after 7:30 a.m. yesterday, the child's father accompanied by friends, went to the bus park and confronted the alleged extortionists when all hell broke loose.

knives drawn

THE STAR understands that a heated argument developed among the men following which knives were drawn.

In the aftermath of the stabbing match, one of the alleged extortionists and one of the men who accompanied the father, were fatally wounded. The deceased have been identified as 25-year-old Michael Jackson of Carib Heights and a man known only as 'Evil Head', both from the parish.The father was the only other injured person.

Investigators said they identified at least one man of interest in the matter but he is yet to be apprehended.

One police source said extortionists in Ocho Rios have been plaguing students who use the bus park, sometimes demanding various amounts of money from them depending on their size.