Shooting in Majesty Gardens triggers fear among motorists

RESIDENTS OF Majesty Gardens, popularly called 'Back-To' in Kingston, yesterday said motorists have nothing to fear following a gun attack last Saturday that left a man dead, and some drivers scared of detouring through the community.

Motorists travelling from Marcus Garvey Drive had no choice but to detour through the area as the nearby Portia Simpson Miller Square has been closed to vehicular traffic.

Police are deployed to the area, especially during rush-hour traffic periods in the mornings and evenings, but that did not stop a group of gunmen from peppering 44-year-old Louis Gordon at a peace concert about 9 o'clock Saturday night.

The incident caused mayhem as patrons scampered for cover, narrowly being missed by motorists trying to speed out of the area as the more than two dozen shots rang out.

"Them (motorists) have nothing to fear in here. Trust me. Back-To just suffering from a stigma from long time. But nobody not going to trouble nobody around here," said one man, noting that Gordon had many enemies in the community and was a target for many years.

His attackers came specifically for him, the residents claimed, as he was shot more than two dozen times. His attackers reportedly fired into the air as they ran from the scene. No one else was injured.

'Like any other community'

"Back-To is just like any other community, like 'Rema', like Greenwich Farm. It is just a community with the stigma from back in the days. But it is a far better place now than what it was before," the man continued, to nods of approval from a female vendor, one of many who have put out stalls in hopes of capitalising on the traffic flow through the community.

"People safe down here. It's not like there is any gang war going on [like] back in the day. But nobody not going to trouble anybody driving through, no robberies or anything," said the vendor.

"Of course, things can happen still, but the most you might hear is that stray shot hit a vehicle or something, but nobody not going to target anyone driving through the area," she said.

Yesterday, passengers in a bus looked out curiously as they drove through the community that teems with zinc fences, open sewers and children running by. Last week, motorists witnessed a fight between by two women, as a group of others cheered them on.

Residents, however, were yesterday more concerned about unruly motorists who they said speed through the area. At least four children have been hit by motor cars in recent weeks, they said.

In the meantime, police were observed patrolling the community yesterday.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com