Fear hung heavy over the often volatile East Kingston section of the capital yesterday morning as terrified residents recalled a night in which five persons were murdered by gunmen in what the police said is an ongoing gang war.

“We cannot take another night like last night. Too much people a dead roun’ we,” said one resident.

Another, an elderly man, moaned: “Not even dog a go a road again, Mi fraid fi even look out a door when night come.”

The night of terror began at about 8:35 when Keith Robinson was cut down by a gunman as he walked along Paradise Street.

Police said they had no evidence that Robinson’s murder was linked to the other four killings. However, they believe that the shooting death of 22 year-old Alvin Richards at about 8:40 pm sparked reprisal killings of two men and a woman over a three-and-a-half hour period.

The Elletson Road police said Richards, otherwise called ‘Masa man’, was at his house at 18 St Alban Lane, Franklyn Town when he was shot dead by two men. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

Detectives said Richards was a friend of Delano Waite, otherwise called ‘Delly Bap’ whom the police have labelled the most wanted man in the Franklyn Town and Dunkirk communities.

“They were friends, because he (Richards) would visit his (Waite’s) house on a regular basis, ” said Detective Sergeant Worrell Clacken.

Following Richards’ murder, a group of armed men went to 9a Lower York Street, also in Franklyn Town, where they kicked off the door to a house in which 27 year-old mason Donovan Farquharson, otherwise called ‘Kenneth’, and his common-law wife Arlene Samms, 37, lived with their two month-old baby. All three were in bed when the gunmen entered at approximately 12:05 am, the police said.

The gunmen took the baby from the bedroom before spraying the couple, who were still in bed, with bullets, killing them on the spot.

“A number of 9mm spent shells were discovered, including some in the bedroom,” Clacken said.

Police said that that same group of gunmen then went to 14 Summerset Avenue, in the same community, at about 12:15 am. They kicked off a door to a house where 30 year-old tiler, Mark Fagan, lived with his five year-old son.

The gunmen removed the child from the bed, where he was asleep with his father, before shooting Fagan in his head and upper body. He died on the spot.

The killers, it appeared, used pistols, as 9mm spent shells were recovered at the scene of the crime.

“We believe that these people were killed in reprisal for the murder of Richards, because of several factors which I cannot disclose at this time,” Detective Sergeant Clacken told the Observer.

He said that rival gangs have been waging war in the community and vowed that the police would restore calm to the area.

Yesterday, some residents, who have been living in the community for more than 20 years, said they would be moving out.

One elderly man cried openly, asking the police to do their job and get rid of the thugs who are holding the community to ransom.

“We can’t even go a road again,” shouted one woman. “It nuh nice over here because mi pickney dem nuh have nuh future inna war, inna Franklyn Town. De man dem too wicked!”