Man in custody for New Kingston murder - Knutsford Express says shooting metres from core parking zone
Published:Monday | April 8, 2019 | 12:00 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
The police have made an arrest in connection with Saturday’s brazen gun attack in New Kingston in which a man was killed and another shot and injured. The incident, which happened about 2:30 in the afternoon, took place on the Grenada Crescent parking lot adjacent to the New Kingston Shopping Centre and in the vicinity of Knutsford Express.
However, lawmen remain tightlipped, opting not to give further details on the suspect or on the circumstances of the murder.
“It is still under investigation; I couldn’t give you any other detail outside of confirming one man is in custody, but nothing else can be released to the public until it has hatched out,” a male Constable from the police’s Corporate Communications Unit told The Gleaner yesterday. “If we give anything else, that could compromise the case in court, or even the proceedings from this point on.”
The Gleaner also tried to reach Senior Superintendent of Police Jacqueline Green, who is in charge of the St Andrew Central Police Division, but her cell phone rang without answer.
Both men were sitting in a car when they were attacked by two men on a motorcycle. In the aftermath of the attack, the dead man lay face down with apparent wounds to the stomach region.
The dead man has since been identified as 24-year-old André ‘Beenie’ Smith, delivery man of an Old Hope Road, St Andrew, address.
The injured man was taken to hospital.
Police sleuths say they are following strong leads and believe that the shooting was linked to “an ongoing gang feud”.
Meanwhile, ground transportation company Knutsford Express has sought to assure its customers that the shooting did not occur at the parking zone directly in front of its depot but metres away on the massive lot that is leased to various companies.
“Saturday afternoon’s shooting on the Cinema Two lands in New Kingston is a tragedy. News of the incident came as a shock, since the area is one which enjoys relative peace and tranquility,” Oliver Townsend, CEO of Knutsford Express, told The Gleaner yesterday. “It also resulted in cancellations from patrons who have become fearful of travelling to our location.”
Townsend continued: “We note that The Sunday Gleaner updated its report to clarify that this unfortunate incident did not occur at Knutsford Express itself. It occurred some distance away from the 4,254 sq. ft of the Cinema lands which Knutsford Express Limited utilises under its licence agreement from WIHCON Properties Limited. Our services were not interrupted during or after the incident and our customers remained safe.”