MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Manchester North West Member of Parliament Mikael Phillips confirmed that four high school boys and a man were shot in the Greenvale area of his constituency, Thursday.

The five were taken to hospital but one of the schoolboys was released yesterday.

Police reported that a game of football was in progress on Bethel Street in the community about 5:40 pm, when men armed with handguns alighted from a Toyota Vitz motor car and started shooting.

A motive for the shooting has not yet been determined by the police.

Phillips said that Greenvale, once known as a volatile community, had been relatively quiet for many years, following a number of social interventions in the area by different stakeholders, including the political directorate, churches, the Greenvale Community Council, and Manchester Peace Coalition.

Phillips said football is among the activities through which community members bond.

“It is really disappointing,” he said, reflecting on the recent flare-up of violence.

The Member of Parliament said, however, that the perpetrators are not believed to be from the area.

– Alicia Sutherland