Gang violence escalates in troubled Rose Town

With fear and chaos gripping Rose Town after a deadly gun attack that residents claim was recorded, the Kingston Western police have issued wanted notices for several men as they investigate several murders and shootings.

The Gleaner understands that a reputed gang leader who was recently released from custody is among those being sought.

The latest murder victim is 36-year-old Dwayne ‘Ghadafi’ Cuff, a truck driver of Duff Street in Rose Town, Kingston 13. A woman was also shot and injured by the assailant(s) in the incident at their home last Friday.

Reports from the Denham Town police are that about 3:45 a.m., Cuff and the woman were asleep when they were shot through a window.

They were taken to the hospital, where Cuff was pronounced dead. The woman was admitted.

A resident told The Gleaner that Cuff had just left the street and retired to bed.

“Dem shoot him through the window and murder him. We hear dem video it too, but mi nuh see the video yet. People a talk say them have di video and it gruesome,” a resident of Rose Town told The Gleaner on Monday.

On the weekend, the police listed nine people who they believe may be able to assist them with their ongoing probes. They are Samuel Grant, otherwise called ‘Hubby’; Navado Lyons, otherwise called ‘Gwan Bad’; Rohan Tomlinson, otherwise called ‘Popsie’; Chevasio McGeachy, otherwise called ‘Will’; David Simmonds, otherwise called ‘Troy’; Keon Campbell, otherwise called ‘Wicked’; a man known only as ‘Bugari’; Clive Wallace; and AJ Vickers.

The Gleaner understands that David ‘Troy’ Simmonds and AJ Vickers have since turned themselves in.

A senior police source close to the probe told The Gleaner that Cuff was a friend-turned-enemy of the Bentley Lane faction.

“He is not a saint … . He left from one side of the community and relocated to enemy turf … . The war is currently between the Bentley Lane Gang and Rose Town Gang. From what we gather, it was a case of who was able to get who first,” the cop said.

“In these communities, where there is a social decay and people rely on the warring factions for power and protection, when there is a switch-up, the opposing gang tries to send a strong message,” the senior officer, who requested anonymity, told The Gleaner.

The bloodletting in Rose Town continued on Monday when two women and a man travelling in a Honda HRV came under gunfire sometime after 2:30 p.m.

Reports are that perpetrators opened fire on the vehicle, which was being driven by one of the women, along Tewari Crescent.

The women, aged 32 and 29, were both struck by bullets. The male passenger reportedly ran from the vehicle, which crashed into another vehicle along Spanish Town Road.

The injured women were assisted to the hospital by the police.

The Gleaner understands that they had just moments earlier left the nearby Denham Town Police Station, where they went to turn in one of the wanted men, who is a relative.

The divisional commander for the Kingston Western Police Division, Senior Superintendent Micheal Phipps, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Kingston Western Police Division recorded a 26 per cent year-on-year decline in murders as at August 3. There were 38 murders for the period this year, compared to 51 over the corresponding period in 2023.

Shootings also declined by 28 per cent.

To date, there have been more than 725 reports of murders across all 19 police divisions.

editorial@gleanerjm.com