Tension grips Park Lane

Gang feud erupted in the Park Lane community off Red Hills Road, Kingston 19, on Saturday, leaving one family in deep distress after gunmen shot three cousins who were members of the family, killing two, and injuring a third.

Another man, believed to be a friend of the cousins, who was in the vicinity when the shooting started, was also killed, and four other persons standing along the road were wounded and taken to hospital. One has since been released.

The deceased have been identified as Rushanne White, 27, otherwise called “Shella”; his cousin, Kemonie White, 28, also known as “Barber”; and Alex Henry, 29, otherwise called “Tecka”. Another cousin who was shot and wounded remained in hospital in stable condition.

Viris White, the grandmother of the three cousins, was still in shock yesterday when The Gleaner visited her home on Sunday as she struggled to come to terms with the tragedy that befell her family,

“Oh Jesus! I don’t know what to do. I am just praying and ask God to keep me. It not easy. Believe me, it not easy,” said the weeping woman who is no stranger to tragedy, having lost a son by the gun some years ago. Her grandson, Kemonie White, survived a shooting at a gas station along Red Hills Road last year.

“Merciful father! Mi just trying to cope. Mi a give God thanks for life. Mi still deh yah. Mi bawl it out last night, so this morning mi ask God fi comfort,” the distraught grandmother lamented.

White said that she believed that one of her grandsons could have been the target of the attack because of his associations but defended the other two, pointing out that they were not involved in anything as far as she knew.

“To tell you the truth, him no listen when we talk to him, and him like company, so it could be thru the company him keep,” she revealed.

It is reported that the shooting took place just after 7 p.m. when men armed with guns entered the lane and opened fir, hitting several persons.

The community remains tense on Sunday with pockets of residents gathered at different points, under the watchful eyes of members of the joint security forces, to discuss the shooting that has unnerved them.

One family member of an influential member of the community told The Gleaner that the kidnapping of his relative by men posing as police officers in a blue Toyota Probox motor car preceded the shooting and could also be a factor.

According to the family member, the kidnapping took place at about 3 p.m. and the relative has not been seen since. The police have confirmed this incident.

Many of the residents say they are seeking answers, and at the same time expressing fear of what could happen next.