NEW Ramble, St James — Blood-curdling screams echoed throughout this community Friday night as gunmen ran amok and sprayed bullets killing three people, including a schoolboy and shot and injured nine others who were all gathered in the entertainment hub in their community.

The deceased have been identified as 28-year-old Troy Scoville, 27-year-old Nicholas Campbell and 16-year-old St James High student Adrian Thelwell, all of New Ramble, Bogue Hill.

Police reports are that about 10:00 pm people were enjoying themselves at a cluster of small shops when armed men jumped from a motorcar and peppered them with bullets before speeding away.

After the shooting died down, 12 people were found suffering from gunshot wounds. They were all taken to a medical facility where three were pronounced dead and nine admitted.

Members of the St James Police Division, who are working to apprehend the group of men responsible for the onslaught, have said that matters surrounding the lotto scam triggered the shooting.

“There seemed to have been at the centre of conflict arising from a lotto scamming situation,” SSP Marlon Nesbeth, head of the St James Police Division, told the Jamaica Observer.

Friday night’s triple killing pushed the murder tally in St James to 129 since the start of the year, 24 more than the 105 recorded over the corresponding period last year.

Member of Parliament for St James North Western Dr Horace Chang said that the Government will get tougher on criminals.

“The security forces are working hard, the Government will take whatever steps are required to reinforce their position… work with them to re-establish control of the streets, and give security to the people of this town,” Dr Chang expressed.

“There are a few miscreants, brutal characters that are carrying out this sort of criminal activity, threatening the lives of innocent people, including women and children. It has to stop!”

Over nine murders have been reported in St James last week.

The police have imposed a 48-hour curfew in the Flanker and Mount Salem communities, which started on Friday morning.