VENDORS who trade in the Coronation Market in Kington say they are in fear for their lives following the shooting death yesterday of a colleague, 49-year-old Peter Nelson.

The Denham Town Police said about 7:45 am Nelson, otherwise known as “Iron Pipe” of Tivoli Gardens, was on Carrot Way inside the market when he was attacked by two armed men who opened fire on him.

One of the suspects in the killing was later apprehended during a police operation on Pink Lane in the nearby Denham Town.

A vendor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said even though she was not in the market when the shooting took place, she is fearful.

“I don’t know who next or what [will happen next]. Mi just don’t know. Mi just scared [as] right now I am shaking, as I don’t know what to expect. This is affecting our business right now. We have bills to pay and nobody coming here anymore [to buy],” she said.

The Coronation usually sees a drop off in business whenever there is an outbreak of violence in Kingston’s west end.

Said the woman:“From mi get the call, fear just drive in my whole system. Remember when you are a business person you don’t even know what’s happening.”

Another vendor who has been selling in the historic market for several years shared similar sentiments.

“I am in fear because I don’t know what’s next,” the vendor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told the

Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“It wasn’t like this. Business is getting slow and the people don’t want to come here to buy. The people who we use to buy goods from are also in fear, they don’t want to come here either,” she added.

Yesterday, as detectives processed the crime scene, some of the fearful vendors whispered among themselves, afraid that even talking about the violence could set them up for attacks.

Commanding officer for the Kingston Western Police Division Senior Superintendent Howard Chambers, however, urged vendors to report what they know to the police.

“It is a partnership approach because we want that partnership with residents of Tivoli and Denham Town. We have to come together to put an end to this and we are asking the residents to have that trust, that faith in the police so we will make it work. Just come in and let us have the statements on those persons,” Chambers said.

The shooting death of the vendor yesterday was the latest in a spate of shootings in West Kingston in recent days, which police theorise is between rival gangs in the Kingston Western Police Division.

Yesterday, a friend of the deceased, who was seen crying, told the

Observer that he saw Nelson approximately 15 minutes before he was gunned down.

“Mi go round there and when him a put up the shutter and mi say to him say, ‘Bwoy you a fix up fi the holiday’. Somebody asked him fi Irish potato and him never have none so me leave and went away. When me outside me see say me van tyre puncture and by the time me patch the tyre and come back me hear say them kill him,” said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The man, who said Nelson was well known, said he had been selling in the market for more than 30 years.

— Racquel Porter