HANOVER — The police are keeping a close watch on sections of Kingsvale, Hanover, following the fatal shooting of two men in the community on Tuesday night. Two other men were left nursing gunshot wounds in the incident.

The dead men have been identified as 32-year-old Danvert Vassel, better known as Goofy of Wood Church, Haughton Court, Kingsvale, and 36-year-old Dwayne Walford commonly called Harry, a chef of Flour Hill, Riverside, also in Kingsvale.

Reports are that about 9:15 pm on Tuesday, the four men were in the vicinity of two shops owned by Walford when men on a bike drove up and opened fire at them.

According to residents, Walford was at a cookshop which he operated, while Vassel was on his way from work and had stopped at the shop to purchase a meal.

One resident, who refused to give his name, told the Jamaica Observer that Vassel was a good man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“You can’t lose after him. So they killed an innocent youth. The criminal killed a decent person who has a character as a man. Them kill a man of Jamaica,” declared that man as he added Vassel leaves behind a young daughter.

Raymond Stennett, an uncle of Walford, said he is at a loss as to why his nephew was killed as he is not known to be in trouble with anyone.

Stennett said the gunmen went to one of the shops operated by Walford and fired several shots injuring two men who were among a group standing in front of the building. They have since been identified as a 19-year-old mason and a 41-year-old maintenance worker, both of Kingsvale addresses. Up to yesterday, the two remained in hospital in stable condition.

The gunmen then turned their weapons on the other shop, killing Walford and Vassel.

Stennett said his nephew was trying to earn money to maintain his daughter who will be starting classes at a high school in Westmoreland in September.

“Right now, the whole a dem faint out and sup’m. A di mother best child. Right now a wi have fi jus stay round har fi take care a har sed way.

“She all go a doctor this morning and come back. Her pressure rise and something, and him granny same way,” said Stennett.

He told the Observer that the family was still in grief over the death of his brother, who lost his life in a motorcycle accident last year.

Up to Wednesday, the police had recorded 29 murders in Hanover, 11 more than the 18 recorded in the same period last year.

The parish has also seen 19 shootings, down from the 20 recorded in the corresponding period in 2020.

— Anthony Lewis