More gangland-style murders rock MoBay ... in gunmen's reign of terror in St James, Hanover

Western Bureau:

Criminals in western Jamaica on Tuesday night made a mockery of a recent promise by the police to restore order to the problem-plagued region by unleashing terror on St James and Hanover, killing four persons and wounding several others.

Shortly after 10 p.m., the much-trafficked Howard Cooke Boulevard in downtown Montego Bay was transformed into a shooting gallery, as armed thugs travelling in a white Toyota motor car pulled up alongside a Honda motor car and opened fire, killing the male driver and his female passenger.

During the shooting, other persons were reportedly shot and injured as frightened motorists abandon their vehicles and fled in panic. A child was among the persons who sustained gunshot wounds as bystanders ran for cover.

"It is the craziest thing I have ever seen ... . It was like watching a movie on TV ... . Only thing was that it was for real," a prostitute, who operate in proximity to the busy thoroughfare, told The Gleaner. "All now me nuh run ... . It was like seeing and not believing. MoBay gone full crazy."

During the shooting, the car in which the two persons were killed reportedly crashed into the back of another vehicle. The car with the shooters reportedly slowed momentarily, pumping more bullets into the wrecked Honda, before speeding away.

Flankers murder

In another incident in St James on Tuesday night, shortly after 11:00, the St James police got reports of heavy gunfire in a section of Flankers. When they went to the location they found the body of a man who had seemingly succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.

Last Friday, Senior Superintendent of Police Marlon Nesbeth, the new commanding officer for St James, told a press conference that the police's latest initiative, 'Operation Tidal Wave', was working quite well as several wanted men were arrested and 13 guns and 200 rounds of ammo seized in two weeks.

Over in Hanover, which has been mirroring the spate of murders and double murders in St James, a 50-year-old businesswoman and three of her daughters were shot and injured when gunmen invaded their Industry Cove home and opened fire on them.

According to reports, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the businesswoman and family members were at home when three men, all armed with handguns, barged in and started firing shots. Following the shooting, all four were rushed to hospital, where they were admitted.

Since the start of the year, St James has registered close to 120 murders while Hanover is heading towards 20. Last year, both parishes had record numbers of murders.