Hours after visiting the grieving family of Lloyd Davis, the man who was killed in a shooting incident in Accompong, St Elizabeth on Thursday at the annual Maroon Festival, Colonel Richard Currie says the incident has left the community “disheartened and shocked.”

Davis was one of his persons shot by a policeman at the event. Two children were also injured in the melee. The other five individuals are said to be recovering at hospital.

Currie, in a post to Instagram, said the Maroons have been left with few words to describe the incident.

READ: Six people shot in Accompong, one dead

Recalling how he had been standing at the scene of the shooting only moments before it happened, the Maroon Chief said several protocols were put in place to ensure the safety of attendees.

“We had trained security, armed and unarmed, armoured truck to safeguard personal firearms entering the community.”

He highlighted that he had made multiple attempts to get support from the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport for this year’s staging.

However, the police on Wednesday warned the public not to attend the event as it constitutes a breach of the COVID-19 regulations.

READ: Police warn public not to attend planned Accompong event

Currie said while details of the fatal incident are “still sketchy as details are still not fully clear”, he is urging everyone to bear with the process of the investigation being conducted by various entities.

READ: INDECOM probes shooting at Accompong

He also used the opportunity to reassure the public that Accompong “is a safe community” on a “divine mission to keep the peace.