POLICE have blamed a six-month gang conflict for Wednesday night’s murder of a taxi driver and an 18-year-old woman, and the injury of three others in the volatile community of Common, located off Red Hills Road in Kingston.

The woman has been identified as Tamara Marshall, also called ‘Camille’, while the taxi driver was only identified as ‘Blacka’.

The police reported that the taximan was in his vehicle when he was hauled out of the vehicle and hacked to death by a group of machete-wielders.

A resident of the area told the Observer that Blacka was a hard-working citizen who was not involved in the ongoing conflict in the depressed community.

“Him work hard everyday and them kill him just because him live pan the gully banks. Bad man a coward because them can’t kill the man dem who do dem tings, only innocent dem prey pan,” the resident said.

At the same time, residents believe the taximan’s killing was a reprisal for Wednesday night’s drive-by shooting at a bar owned by former Common strongman, Cleveland ‘Cassie’ Downer.

Marshall was among a group of persons standing at the bar Wednesday night when a white motor car drove up and the occupants opened fire. Marshall was taken to hospital along with three other persons where she was pronounced dead.

The others, listed by the police as two women, aged 19 and 21, and a 28-year-old man, were Thursday being treated for gunshot wounds.

That attack, the police said, was believed to be a reprisal for the murder of Machel Hamilton, whose bullet-riddled body was found on Merrick Highway earlier this week.

It is believed that Hamilton was trailed by a group of gunmen who peppered him with bullets and left him to die on the roadway.