Two dead as gunmen shoot seven in Trench Town drive-by
Published:Saturday | November 4, 2023 | 12:09 AMAndre Williams/Gleaner Writer
A CHILD is among seven persons shot in a drive-by gun attack on Third Street in Trench Town, Kingston, Thursday night. The shooting left two men dead.
The deceased have been identified as 26-year-old Desmore ‘Niko’ McKenzie and 34-year-old Romaine ‘Coolie’ Maragh, both of Third Street, Trench Town, addresses.
Reports from the Kingston Western police are that the men were among a group of people playing a game of dominoes about 7:30 p.m. along the roadway.
Eyewitnesses say a Toyota motorcar drove up and the occupants alighted from the vehicle and opened fire indiscriminately.
The injured were rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital, where McKenzie and Maragh were pronounced dead, and the others admitted and treated.
The police said the attack was motivated by a gang conflict between the ‘Buckers’ and ‘Fatherless’ gangs operating in area.
The latest attack, according to Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, who heads the Kingston Western Police Division, is a reprisal in continuation of the gang conflict.
“We believe that this was carried out by members of the Fatherless Gang in reprisal for the murder of a top-tier Fatherless Gang member, who was shot and killed in August this year,” Phipps said, while adding that the investigation is at an early stage.
The police say they will intensify their efforts and use all necessary means to locate the gangsters and all others who are involved in the conflict.
Phipps said the police are asking ‘Pepe’, ‘Shamar’ and ‘Juju’ to report to them as soon as possible to help with the investigation.
‘Mash up the Christmas’
The Major Investigation Division is leading the probe in this double murder and shooting.
A resident told The Gleaner: “This just mash up the Christmas. The police not gonna allow any gathering and people going to be looking out dem eye. Blood run, seven people, two dead. Is a mass killing dem set out for … . This war ya not going to end.”
Since the start of the year, the Kingston Western Police Division has seen an eight per cent increase in murders year-on-year.
As at October 28, the police reported 68 murders when compared to 63 for the period under review in 2022.
Shootings in the division increased by two per cent over the period year-on-year.
The latest JCF statistics indicate that 62 shootings were recorded.
The national murder tally on October 28 was 1,159.