Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterMORE THAN 12 persons were detained yesterday during a cordon and search operation in the adjoining communities of Jaques Road, located off Mountain View Avenue in St. Andrew.
"We are pretty sure that some of those we picked up were persons that were involved in the [recent gang] shooting incidents," Superintendent Doric Sinclair, head of the Kingston Eastern Division, told The Gleaner yesterday.
He said the detainees will be processed immediately to determine who were not wanted and would be released.
On Wednesday, heavily armed members of the security forces were kept busy diverting traffic along Mountain View Avenue, as rival gunmen were engaged in a shoot-out. Residents had reported that on Tuesday night there was sporadic shooting which continued into Wednesday morning.
AT LEAST ONE SHOT AND KILLED
According to the police, at least one person was shot and killed. He has been identified as Lloyd Shakespeare, of Jacques Crescent. Reports are that he was walking along Jacques Road when he was attacked and shot. The incident occurred shortly after 2:00 p.m.
The internal gunfight is said to be between rival 'corner gangs' from the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) stronghold of bottom and top Jaques Road and Goodridge Lane.
It is further alleged that bottom Jacques Road has joined up with Goodridge Lane in the north, to fight against top Jacques Road, which is located in the middle.
The police have confirmed that one of the influential corner leaders from 63 Mountain View Avenue was arrested yesterday.
While there are several versions of the events leading up to the shooting which began on Sunday, it is alleged that the flare-up started over an empty room on Third Avenue, between a man from Goodridge Lane and another from Top Jacques Road. Another allegation is that one influential person was attempting to convert the JLP stronghold to a People's National Party (PNP) enclave.
