Gunmen claim four lives in Central Village
THE gun slaying since Monday of four men in Central Village, St Catherine has triggered a heavy police presence and beefed-up patrols in the volatile community.
The latest victim of what the police describe as gang warfare, was killed yesterday. His death brings to 818, the number of people murdered islandwide over the past 10 months.
Two firearms and 11 rounds of ammunition were also seized by the police yesterday after they came under heavy gunfire during a mobile patrol along Browns Lane.
Police say the ongoing feud in Central Village has claimed the lives of 10 persons over the past five weeks as well-known gangs trade bullets across rival communities.
The man killed yesterday was identified as Winston Brown, 38, of Browns Lane while another man, (name withheld) also of Browns Lane was admitted to hospital.
Killed on Monday were Kevin Wilson, 26; Phillip Carty, 23; and Pedro Panton, 20; all of Windsor Heights.
Police have ruled out political violence as a motive, but theorised that the mayhem since Monday was meant as a reprisal for last month’s killing of an area “don” by an itinerant gang, fighting for turf.
Monday’s triple murder occurred about 5:00 pm when a group of men with high-powered rifles went inside a barber shop at First Avenue, Windsor Heights in Central Village and shot three customers. Wilson died on the spot while Carty and Panton died at hospital.
Police picked up seven AK-47 spent shells and a 9mm spent shell at the scene.
“We believe that the motive of all of this violence, the triple murder and everything else is a reprisal for the murder of one Lindon Brown, alias (known as) “Aga Pantos” of Compound (Central Village). “Pantos” was shot and killed (on Saturday) September 14, by a group of gunmen who raided his house and opened fire on him. He was killed on the spot,” a homicide detective told the Observer.
Police said that yesterday, residents heard gunshots along Browns Lane about 6:40 am and called them. On arrival, police found Brown’s bullet-riddled body. Another man was also found suffering from gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital.
Two hours later a group of gunmen shot at a police patrol. Following the exchange of gunfire, the gunmen ran leaving a Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun with eight cartridges and a loaded 12- gauge shotgun with three rounds of ammunition.
A senior police officer who asked for anonymity, complained to the Observer that police authorities were not treating the violence in Central Village seriously. Said he: “this community is always riddled with serious crime and violence, (and) we (the police) will not treat it with the seriousness it deserves. This situation calls for a special strike force to deal (with it and) to crack it in the head. We are using too much kid gloves with crime in this country. It is time somebody stop play politics with crime and violence, take a tough decision and come head on with crime,” the officer said.
He called on police commissioner Francis Forbes to show his mettle in Central Village. “I call on him (Forbes) to give us the order to get tough wid dem people a Village an protect the few little policeman dem out here from the time bomb we are sitting on,” he pleaded.