JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) member of parliament for Central St Catherine Olivia “Babsy” Grange escaped injury last night when gunmen shot up the motor car in which she was travelling in the often volatile Spanish Town section of her constituency.

Two men who were travelling on a motorcycle behind the MP’s car were shot and injured in the incident and were being treated at the Spanish Town Hospital last night.

The Spanish Town police identified one of the injured men only as “Ticarus”, of Tawes Pen in Spanish Town.

According to Superintendent Kenneth Wade, at about 6:00 pm Grange, accompanied by supporters, was returning from a peace meeting at the parish council offices when gunmen fired shots at them at the intersection of Church Street and Wellington streets.

In a telephone interview with the Observer, a traumatised Grange confirmed the incident and said that she was travelling in a convoy in her Toyota motor car from the meeting, which was also attended by PNP member of Parliament for South Central St Catherine Sharon Hay-Webster.

“We were coming from a peace meeting and I was sitting in the back seat and when I reached the corner of Church Street and Wellington Street I heard gunshots, which shattered the rear of my car, which frightened me out of my wits. I was sitting in the back seat and could have been shot,” Grange said.

“I am at this moment speaking to you from the hospital and I understand that one of them (the injured men) is critical.”

Webster, who also spoke to the Observer from the hospital, said she was not travelling in Grange’s convoy. “I had left the meeting and was on my way when I heard of the shooting and returned,” she said.

The shooting came in the wake of a truce being arranged between the One Order and Clansman gangs, which have waged deadly intermittent battles for turf in the historic town.

Both gangs have political allegiances – One Order to the JLP and Clansman to the People’s National Party.

Last night, Observer sources in the town said the gangs were planning a peace dance to be held at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.

Superintendent Wade said he was happy that the two gangs had decided to make peace with each other, but said the attack could be a “great setback” for the peace initiative.

Wade said extra mobile patrols were being deployed in the town last night, with assistance from the military, to prevent any disturbance which might be contemplated following the shooting.

Police could not say if the shooting had any link to Tuesday’s arrest of three alleged members of the One Order Gang by Operation Kingfish detectives.

The men – Ricardo Gordon, 30, otherwise called “Jah Jah”; Terence King, 20, also called “Hobut”; and Dalton Thomas, 24, also known as “Jas”, all of Homestead in Spanish Town – are facing charges of false imprisonment, shooting with intent and illegal possession of firearm.

The police said that on the morning of September 17, the three men were among a group of gunmen who allegedly took a resident hostage in a St Catherine community. The resident, however, managed to escape.

Investigations by Kingfish led to the apprehension of the three men. They are booked to appear in court next week.