Community tense after six shot in Tavern

The community of Tavern in St Andrew is tense following a drive-by shooting on Friday around 4:30 p.m. in which six people were shot and injured by two gunmen travelling on a motorbike.

The victims, ages 21-44, were taken to hospital and are said to be in stable condition.

The police reported that the victims were standing outside a shop in the square when the gunmen approached on the motorbike and opened fire. Senior Superintendent (SSP) Marlon Nesbeth, who heads the St Andrew Central Police Division, said the police are treating the incident as reprisal for two murders that took place in the area in recent weeks.

“This is a follow-up of some conflicts within that area between men from Premix Road, especially, and some other persons from the Kintyre phase, and mostly Berta Lane also. We have had at least two murders previous to this incident in that space generally and this is a further incident. We have been working hard round the clock to contain and to repel and follow through with investigations and so on,” he said.

However, while investigators try to piece together possible leads, SSP Nesbeth is appealing to persons to come forward with information that could assist the police.

PERSONS OF INTERESTS

“The major concern we have, or hindrance thus far, is that we are hardly getting cooperation when these things happen. People see, a lot of people see, and this one especially is in broad daylight; but we have information of perpetrators and we have three persons of interests right now. Although I said two men on a bike, we know that other persons were also involved in a covert way, so we are pursuing those leads but importantly we need the cooperation and I plead with persons to put some trust and faith in us. We want to resolve this matter, and we can’t do it without that type of cooperation so we can get evidence and statements to carry out the investigation,” he said.

The recent flare-up of violence has become a concern for the residents. For Dwayne Brown, who lives in Kintyre, the police must do all they can to restore the peace in the neighbouring communities.

“From June this thing a bubble up and right now mi no know wah a go happen because mi a hear say di man dem weh do the shooting since day a say dem nah stop until dem defend friend weh dead,” he said.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Gleaner that she believes the war will only get worse after the killing of a popular young man on August 10.

Up to August 17, the St Andrew Central Police Division had recorded 51 murders, 13 fewer than the corresponding period last year.

roxroy.mclean@gleanerjm.com