Four more lives were taken yesterday in the intermittent violence that has plagued Spanish Town for the past three months, pushing to 54 the number of murders reported in the old capital since the start of the year.

Yesterday’s murders were committed by a group of gunmen who invaded an Off Track Betting (OTB) outlet at Greendale at about 9:20 am and sprayed the place with bullets.

Police said seven persons were in the OTB at the time of the bloody assault. All seven were hit. Three died on the spot. They are:

. Errol Welsh, 44, of Thompson Pen, Spanish Town;

. Abraham McNaughty, 48, of Jones Avenue, Spanish Town; and

. a man identified only as ‘Little Dread’, who the police estimate to be in his late 40s.

Thirty-two year-old Everton Pottinger of Thompson Pen, who was among those injured and taken to the Spanish Town Hospital, died at about 1:00 pm.

The police were unable to establish any motive for the shootings, and, up to yesterday evening, were still investigating.

The manager for the betting outlet, who declined to give his name, said he did not believe the attack was a robbery attempt. He was, however, unable to provide any possible reason for the incident. He also could not give an estimate of the losses the shop would suffer because of the attack.

Yesterday’s attack brings to at least 11 the number of victims of shooting incidents in Spanish Town over the past three days.

Last Saturday, two girls, both of whom are below the age of six, and two women were shot and injured after gunmen invaded their home at March Pen Road.

The recent outbreaks of violence in Spanish Town were triggered by clashes between rival gangs – the Clansman, which is linked to the ruling People’s National Party, and One Order, which supports the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party – over control of a lucrative extortion racket in the town.