- Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
A resident of Job Lane, right, consoles the sister of Uriel Harvey, one of five men shot and killed during a drive-by shooting in that community on Friday night.
Glenroy Sinclair and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Reporters
POLICE INVESTIGATORS had failed up to late yesterday to establish a clear motive for the latest outbreak of violence in the Spanish Town area of Central St. Catherine, in which six persons were killed and four others left nursing gunshot wounds from two separate shooting incidents on Friday night.
Those killed have been identified as Howard Greenwood of a Railway Lane address, Fitzroy Hibbert and his cousin, Maragie Hibbert, Everton Austin and Uriel Harvey, all of Job Lane addresses. Up to yesterday the police were yet to identify the sixth person.
At the same time the police have increased their patrols in the troubled communities with scores of police personnel from the Special Anti Crime Task Force (SACTF), Homicide Division and the Organized Crime Investigation Division (OCID) maintaining a strong presence in the area.
"We have put things in place to prevent further shootings tonight," the Area 5 Crime Officer Deputy Superintendent Wrenford Robinson told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.
This was after an emergency meeting with Assistant Commissioner of Police George Williams and superintendents Dean Taylor and Clifford Blake.
This latest round of killings came just a few days after Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Raymoth Notice, had launched whet he called a Gun Crime Prevention Programme' in the area. It also came close on the heels of an initiative by the police to have a "cease-fire" between rival gangs - One Order' and 'Clansman', who were involed in a bloody feud four months ago. During that period, at least 12 people were shot and killed.
Reports are that Friday's shooting began about 8:30 p.m. in Ellerslie Pen and spread within an hour and a half to the neighbouring community of Job Lane, both in Central St. Catherine.
The first to be killed was Greenwood. The police said he was chased and shot several times by two gunmen along Railway Lane. He died before medical assistance could reached him.
In the second shooting, a white car with several men aboard went on a shooting spree along Job Lane, killing five persons and injurying four others. The shooting took place at a popular corner shop on Job Lane, where people drinking and playing games of ludo and dominoes.
It is reported are that the occupants of the car alighted with blazing guns in hands, shooting at the large group of persons who were socialising at the shop.
As police investiagtors returned to the scene yesterday, many of those who had escaped unhurt told different versions of what had happened, but none had a specific motive for the shooting.
There was also speculation that the Job Lane shooting was a reprisal for the shooting death of a member of the Clansman Gang'', at construction cite in the area on Friday.
It is also alleged that it was the latest development in an internal fight among factions from the area. The police themselves have not come up with a motive.
Councillor for the area, Teresa Turner, described the incident as a very sad one, as most of the victims were honest, hard-working people. However, Mayor Notice said, "I am not surprised about Friday night's incident."
According to him, gun crimes in the communities of Spanish Town were on the increase. He told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday that National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, had since proposed to meet with the St. Catherine Parish Council to discuss issues relating to crime in Spanish Town.
