‘An act of terror’
Four killed in brazen Westmoreland mass shooting
Published:Wednesday | October 2, 2024 | 12:10 AMRochelle Clayton/Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
The once-peaceful New Roads community in rural Westmoreland erupted in extreme violence on Monday night as four persons were shot and killed and four others shot and injured in a brazen mass shooting at an entertainment event in the community.
The deceased men have been identified by the Westmoreland police as Damion Baker, Odane Scott, Anthony ‘Rocky’ Lawrence and Ashane Spence.
Spence is believed to have been one of the marauding gunmen who carried out the attack. It is thought that he was accidentally shot and killed by his cronies.
Lawrence was said to have suffered from schizophrenia [a mental disorder that affects how a person behaves and thinks] while Spence, who was celebrating his birthday at the time of his death, was wearing gloves on both hands and found with a gunshot wound to the back of the head inside a bar. Eight live .45 cartridges were reportedly found in his pocket.
According to police reports, about 10:20 p.m., the victims were among other patrons at the Instagram Lounge in New Roads when a black Toyota Corolla Fielder motorcar drove up. Four armed men alighted from the vehicle, including Spence, and opened gunfire on the surprised patrons.
Following the shooting, the gunmen made good their escape in the waiting motorcar, which sped away in the direction of Bethel Town.
“When the shooting subsided, Baker was found at the back of the building with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body; Scott was found along the road with a gunshot wound to the chest, and Lawrence was found along the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body,” the official police report on the incident stated.
The police also stated that the four injured persons were transported to the nearby Black River Hospital, in St Elizabeth, where they were admitted in stable but serious conditions.
Superintendent Othniel Dobson, the police commander for Westmoreland, described the incident as “an act of terror by gunmen”, while noting that the event was not sanctioned by the police.
“We understand your pain that comes with losing family members under such tragic and horrific circumstances and we stand with you during your period of grief,” said Dobson, in expressing condolences to the families of the victims.
“The police are actively investigating the matter, and all resources are being utilised to bring the perpetrators to justice. We are calling on anyone with information about the shooting or those who have witnessed the incident to come forward and assist the police,” continued Dobson.
“The incident marks a dark moment in the fight against gun violence in Westmoreland, a parish that has achieved a marked reduction in gun violence,” added Dobson.
He also called for residents to turn over a firearm that was removed from the scene of the incident, stating that, “we are appealing to those involved in hiding or removing the firearm from the scene to immediately turn it over to the police”.
The New Roads shooting marks the third mass shooting in Jamaica since the start of the year. In two separate incidents in August, eight persons, including a seven-year-old boy, were killed and nine other persons injured in a shooting on Cherry Tree Lane, in Clarendon; and three persons were shot and killed at a wake for the grandmother of entertainer Christopher Martin in St Andrew.