THE St Andrew South Police believe they have made a major dent in the operation of a well-armed criminal gang which operates in a section of the community of Maverly in St Andrew, following Saturday’s fatal shooting of a teenager and the arrest of two other men.

The dead teenager has been identified as 18-year-old Jamar Johnson, alias ‘Bin Laden’, a resident of Maverly.

The identities of the two men now in custody have been withheld by the police, pending an identification parade.

Investigators fingered Johnson and the two other men in custody as three of the main members of the ‘Top Maverly’ gang, which has been engaged in a feud with another gang from “Bottom Maverly”. Both gangs have been embroiled in a conflict for almost two years, the police said.

An illegal firearm was said to be at the heart of the gang feud which has claimed close to 20 lives.

“We believe that the men in custody are responsible for serious crimes including murder and shootings,” Inspector Lennox Harper of the Hunts Bay police said. “With them off the streets life should be easier for the residents,” he added.

The police said that on Saturday they responded to reports that a group of heavily-armed men invaded a section of the community known as Bottom Maverly and peppered the area with bullets. No one was reported injured.

Following the shooting the gangsters reportedly retreated to premises on Campden Crescent, but the police said they were greeted with gunfire when they approached the building and attempted to enter.

“It was about six a them in the house and when them see we the boy them start buss up a whole heap a shot,” a cop who was at the scene said. “We have fi get flat and put back shot in deh,” added the policeman.

When the shooting ended, Johnson was found suffering from gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The two other men who were in the house were held.

The police said a 9mm Ruger pistol and two rounds of ammunition were taken from Johnson, who they said was wanted by police after absconding bail while on murder and shooting charges.

Meanwhile, the police said some members of the police party were injured by stone-throwing residents when they were leaving the area with the two alleged gunmen.

“Them fling stone and whole heap a missile as we a take the man dem outa the house. See mi foot deh how it swell up,” one cop said.