At least nine persons died, seven violently, over the weekend police report. One man was also shot and injured.

The latest murders bring to 17, the number of persons killed since Friday.

A triple murder at the intersection of Deanery Road and Deanery Avenue in the hotbed constituency of South East St Andrew shattered the calm in that community yesterday.

Two of the men have only been identified by their aliases, ‘Prophet’ and ‘Chemist’ while the other remained unidentified at press time last night.

According to the police, minutes after 3:00 pm, several gunmen opened fire at persons standing at a shop, killing ‘Prophet’ and the unidentified man. The gunmen then chased ‘Chemist’ and peppered him with bullets. All three died on the spot. A fourth man was shot and injured while another man narrowly escaped injury after one of the gunmen’s weapon malfunctioned.

“Him round deh a tremble like leaf, cause a three time the gun stick pan him,” one teary-eyed resident said.

Residents of the community, who gathered at the scene of the shooting, blamed the attacks on men from nearby McGregor Gully.

McGregor Gully is a known People’s National Party (PNP) stronghold, while the section of Vineyard Town where the attacks occurred is supportive of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

“A man from McGregor Gully do it tru’ man kill people round deh Friday night. Them shouldn’t attack we because is not nobody round here trouble dem,” one woman said.

Joan Gordon-Webley, the JLP candidate for the constituency, was distraught as she waited behind the police tape.

“It is just heart-rending to see what has happened here today. These are not people who are card-bearing members. These are just people who are friendly,” Gordon-Webley said.

She urged her supporters to remain calm and stay off the streets to avoid being hurt.

Gordon-Webley was confident that despite the flare-up of violence in the constituency, she would record a victory over incumbent candidate, Maxine Henry-Wilson in today’s elections.

“I am going to win by 1,000 votes. This is not going to a closely contested seat,” she said. “The people want representation.”

Meanwhile, the police said that on Friday afternoon, 20-year-old Clive Nevers was shot dead as he walked along Saunders Avenue – a known PNP stronghold in the neighbouring constituency of Eastern St Andrew. Police say a group of armed hoodlums pounced on Nevers and shot him several times. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

Police also report that the body of 33-year-old Patrick Thompson of Pennant Terrace in St Andrew was found in the Rio Minho with its hands and feet bound on Saturday. Thompson was reported missing on July 29.

Less than two hours after Thompson’s remains were found, robbers slashed a man’s throat in the neighbouring parish of St Catherine. Police say Robert Young, 39, and a friend were walking home from a party in the Constant Spring district in Linstead when the robbers struck. The two were forced into a house where they and the occupants were robbed of money, cellular telephones and other items. Young’s throat was slashed by one of the robbers before they escaped the scene. He died on the spot.

A few hours later, guns barked in Norwood, St James and ended the life of 43-year-old Alphanso Farquarson, also called ‘Dappa’. Police report that Farquarson was at home with relatives when he was summoned outside. He was shot soon after and pronounced dead at hospital.

Police say they suspect suicide to be the cause of death of 27-year-old Oneil Johnson whose body was found hanging by a belt and electric wire from the ceiling of his one-room board house at Seivwright Close in St Andrew on Saturday.

His body was found by a relative who went to pay him a visit.

The police also reported the hit-and-run death of 60-year-old Hilton Campbell of Hague in Trelawny. Campbell attempted to cross the North Coast Highway about 7 o’clock Saturday evening when he was hit by a Nissan motorcar, bearing license plates 6815EN. The car did not stop.

Campbell was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Falmouth police later intercepted the vehicle and arrested the driver, 23-year-old Dormane Campbell.