KINGSTON, Jamaica — Members of the security forces have flooded sections of lower Mountain View Avenue following a flare up of violence in the area last night into this morning.

With residents reporting heavy gunfire in the area, the police early this morning urged motorists to avoid the area and a short while ago head of the Kingston Eastern Police Division Superintendent Victor Hamilton said the advisory remains in place despite a lull in the shooting.

According to Hamilton, the shooting involved rival gangsters from the Jacques Road and Goodwich Lane areas.

Hamilton said this conflict has been long running and efforts have been made over the years to keep the peace in the area.

“Over the many years we have had several interventions, operational and otherwise, while speaking to persons and trying to get them to live good,” said Hamilton.

“There was some conflict coming from last week where there was a site being built, a National Housing Trust financed site.  Two sites in fact, and residents of both communities were employed.  There were some accusations through last week about some special ply board being missing.

“We made some interventions [and] I personally went into both communities and spoke to persons, as late as last week Tuesday.   The ply boards have been found so we thought that things had simmered down and persons would return to work.  Only to find last night that violence had broken out and one resident of Goodwhich Lane was shot and killed,” added Hamilton.

He said the police responded to the murder by putting personnel in place but that did not prevent the intense gunfire which occurred this morning.

“As a result we have been able to mobilise more resources … including the military, so we gave out an advisory for residents to avoid that area because we did not want innocent civilians to get caught up in the cross fire.

“As it is just now, we think we have contained the violence …  and we are getting more resources [but] we are still advising, at this time, that persons who do not have to use the area from Deanery Road to  Windward Road, if you don’t have to go there you should avoid the area,” warned Hamilton.

He noted that the area is still very tense, despite the increased presence of members of the security forces on the ground. 

Arthur Hall