- RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Residents of Rum Lane in central Kingston demonstrate over the shooting of a child on East Queen Street yesterday.
Edmond Campbell and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writers
ANGRY RESIDENTS from Rum Lane in Central Kingston protested on East Queen Street near the Kingston Central Police head-quarters yesterday, demanding protection from marauding gunmen who shot three persons, including a three-year-old girl on Thursday night. The incident took place on Rum Lane in Kingston.
The child and a 28-year-old man were yesterday still battling for life in hospital, while the third victim, a 28-year-old woman is said to be in stable condition.
This is a continuation of hostility in the wider Central Kingston area over the past two weeks, which has left five persons dead and several others, including another three-year-old girl, shot and injured.
The residents claim Thursday night's incident took place near the corner of Rum Lane and Laws Street, less than 30 metres from a police command post.
According to the residents, when the incident occurred, only two policemen were at the post. They vented their disgust with the lack of proper policing in the area and urged the Government to dispatch the army into Central Kingston to restore calm to the war-torn community.
SIX STATIONS NEARBY
With no less than six police stations, including the Kingston Central Police headquarters, located in downtown Kingston, residents are demanding the Police High Command explain why a handful of thugs from the area elude the police at will.
One resident told The Gleaner the area has experienced sporadic incidents of violence in recent times, but pointed out that the shootings have resulted in sleepless nights, particularly for the elderly and young, since September last year.
"It's on and off, we get a ease up from time to time but they have started again in the last three weeks," the resident reported.
William Christie, deputy Superintendent of Police for Kingston Central, told The Gleaner that the police have dispatched patrols in the area on a 24-hour basis. He said the shooting took place "some distance away" from the location of the police command post.
DSP Christie said detectives are carrying out intensive investigations into the incident, but have not yet made an arrest.
Meanwhile a 12-year-old boy was taken into custody yesterday on a charge of murder, following the stabbing death of 13-year-old Special Mehado, after a fight over a fish in the Church Pen community of St. Catherine on Thursday night.
According to reports, after the accused was beaten up by Mehado, he went home to Martin Lane and returned with a knife and proceeded to stab the victim who died on the spot.
