The victims were identified as Antoinette Gooden, 25, Romeo Worges, 32, both of Varma Road, and 18 year-old Peter Francis of Wellworth Avenue, all in Kingston 11.

The police report that about 2 o'clock yesterday morning, the three were in a house on Varma Road when gunmen kicked open a door and opened fire, hitting Worges several times. He died on the spot.

Shot several times

The attackers then pulled Gooden and Francis outside and shot them several times.

Police investigators have linked the killings to a gang feud over an illegal gun.

Their deaths put a cap on a dismal year for crime fighting which saw more than 1,600 persons murdered, making it the second-bloodiest year in Jamaica's history.