Grange Hill tense after five murders in three days
Significant security assets brought in to quell violence in Grange Hill
Published:Tuesday | March 12, 2024 | 12:10 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE VOLATILE Grange Hill community in Westmoreland is now under a murderous siege as five men have been killed in the escalating gang feud between the infamous King Valley Gang and the emerging Ants Posse Gang, who, seemingly, are locked in battle for the spoils of criminal activities.
In response to the spate of shootings and murders, security has been significantly boosted in the area as part of the overall effort to quell the lawlessness and restore order to the community.
“We now have additional assets on the ground, and we are also doing aerial surveillance,” said Superintendent Shaunjaye Mitchell of the Westmoreland Police Division. “We are actively investigating all the incidences of murder, and we are seeking the cooperation of the citizens as we seek to bring closure to this situation.”
A former educator, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity yesterday, said that due to the violence, residents have been running scared, especially in the Belle Isle section of the community, which is said to be the stronghold of the King Valley Gang, and Crowder, the home turf of the Ants Posse.
“Residents are living in fear as shootings are now taking place in broad daylight with no concern for innocent bystanders,” the former educator said. “What is required is a full military response as having these untrained gangsters firing rifles is quite worrisome ... . These lawless men must be forced out of the community.”
With the community still in mourning over Sunday night’s killing of Shakiel Forrest, which came sharply on the heels of the killing of three other men on Saturday, more grief was poured on the community yesterday morning at about 9:00 with the brazen murder of 25-year-old Norman ‘Shortman’ Backriddan.
GRIPPED BY GRIEF
Like Saturday night’s incident, in which Forrest was ambushed in the nearby Little London community shortly after 10 p.m., and ran from his car in a bid to escape his killers but was hunted down and shot dead, Backriddan was riding his motorcycle in the vicinity of Belle Isle Road when he, too, was ambushed and shot multiple times. He died on the spot.
Backriddan’s mother, Juliet Reynolds, was the picture of grief when The Gleaner spoke to her yesterday some three hours after the tragic death of her son – the sixth of her seven children. She said she was at work when she got the news and had to be rushed off to get medical attention as her blood pressure went out of range.
“... Is like ... me deh a work but me nuh deh a work ... me nuh know, mi just nuh know miself,” said the grieving Reynolds, who also has seven grandchildren. “Dem haffi carry me go a doctor because me pressure gone up.”
In speaking to the character of her son, Reynolds described him as a good man, who was an excellent bike -repair man and a caring son to her. In a philosophical way, she nonetheless gave thanks for his life.
“Mi haffi give God thanks still ... . Him give him to me, and Him seh a here, so him fi reach ... . Me can’t do nothing to it ... me can’t do nothing. Me just haffi keep the faith for the rest of children dem,” said Reynolds as fresh tears poured down her face.
While the Ants Posse is new on the police’s radar, the King Valley Gang surged to national prominence in 2020 when several members of the gang were arrested in a major operation that attracted national attention. They were charged with being part of a criminal organisation.
The gang’s leader, Durval ‘Lukie’ Williams, was subsequently convicted and is now serving time in prison.