Parry Town relieved as alleged gangster killed in Kingston

Residents of Parry Town in St Ann exhaled on Friday after the Police High Command disclosed that the parish’s most wanted man who was implicated in several murders and shootings in that community was killed by the police.

Described as “one of Jamaica’s most notorious gangsters”, 34-year-old Orlando Chambers of St Ann and Maxfield Avenue, Kingston, was shot dead during a confrontation with the police in Kingston about 5:50 a.m. on Thursday, August 20.

Chambers, the alleged leader of the Teacher Gang that is based in St Ann, was implicated in two double murders in Parry Town over the past year, among other crimes.

These include the August 2019 double murder of Lancelot White, alias Buck One and Kemar Thomas, and the April 2020 double murder of Omar Beckford, alias Omie, and Shenardo Gayanor, alias Zidane, all of Parry Town addresses. He was also implicated in the May 2020 shooting of a 62-year-old man, also of Parry Town. The man survived the attack.

“We welcome the news and we look forward to hearing more news of this nature,” said one female resident of Parry Town, who requested that her name not be mentioned.

“And I want to commend the police in St Andrew for what they did have made the job of the police in St Ann a bit easier.”

Worried about reprisals

Another resident told The Gleaner that she was mindful of reprisals from other gang members.

“It is a relief, (but) a little bit scary, because you don’t know if there will be any retaliation. People might believe somebody informed on him,” she said.

While Chambers’ activities might not have directly impacted the business community in the wider St Ann, president of the parish’s Chamber of Commerce, Vana Taylor, said that any criminal activity has spin-off effects on surrounding communities.

“We are so happy that the police have managed to get rid of one of the most wanted persons from our parish and Jamaica. We are commending the police as usual for their fantastic work,” Taylor said.

Meanwhile, Ian Bell, councillor for the Beecher Town division, which incorporates Parry Town, said the residents are indeed relieved at the news of Chambers’ demise.

“Everybody is feeling relieved, and I am sure that the community of Parry Town will return to its original glory,” Bell responded when asked about the mood in the community. “I know the residents of Parry Town are relieved at his passing and persons are already indicating to me that, thank God I can walk freely in this community again.”

Friday’s police press statement said that Deputy Commissioner Fitz Bailey, who heads the crime portfolio, hailed the collaborative efforts of detectives from St Ann and the Corporate Area, spanning Specialized Operations, SWAT, and the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Unit.

Bailey later told The Gleaner that Chambers, who is originally from St Ann, would direct the gang’s operations from his base at Maxfield Avenue, while also influencing persons in that Kingston community.

He issued a stern warning to criminals.

‘If they confront the police when the police go to apprehend them, that is going to be their fate. If they surrender, they have a chance to come and tell their story,” Bailey stated.