Following the triple murder of a pregnant woman, her husband and their 16-year-old son on Tuesday morning in Waterloo in Spanish Town, St Catherine, and a confrontation between security forces and a gunman on Wednesday in the same community, cops have vowed to work harder to arrest key players in an ongoing gang war in the area.

The three deceased from Tuesday’s triple murder were identified as 34-year-old Sharon Francis-Wellington, her 43-year-old husband Omar Wellington and their teenage son Orlando Wellington. The three were found dead inside their house with hands bound and, according to the police, were shot and their throats slashed.

READ: Triple murder investigation underway as family killed in St Catherine

In relation to the Wednesday morning confrontation which led to a fatal shooting, two firearms were reportedly seized. Three people were taken into custody following the confrontation between security forces and the now deceased gunman.

“The person who died Wednesday morning was named Tuesday afternoon by the investigators as a person of interest. He was on the list as ‘Gazaman’. One of the three persons in custody is a brother of his. What the investigators realised during assessment was that the likelihood of reprisal was very imminent. The police and the military team intercepted what could have been another serious incident and maybe saved some lives by what they did. They are satisfied that they are on the right path, in terms of the leads they are following,” Senior Superintendent (SSP) Stephanie Lindsay, who heads the Corporate Communications Unit, said.

READ: WATCH: Person of interest in Spanish Town triple-murder killed

The Jamaica Observer further learned from a senior police source that what is brewing in Waterloo currently is a conflict between two gangs.

“We have a gang operating from Waterloo and a gang operating from Tryall Heights. Our intelligence is that the Tryall Heights section wants to dominate the entire space.”

In the meantime, the police also held a press conference on Wednesday at the Enhanced Security Measures Headquarters in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, where they appealed for several persons of interest in the ongoing gang war to make themselves available for questioning.

“Investigators will not stop until there is closure for the family that was killed on Tuesday. We are still looking for Demar Williams O/C ‘KIKI’. We’re looking for men known as ‘Buffy’, ‘Richie’, Othniel Loban, who goes by the alias, ‘Tickman’. There are two persons of interest who are not in Jamaica at this time but are known to be influencing what is happening in the community. One goes by the name ‘Negos’ and the other is known as ‘Blacks’. They can make themselves available,” Lindsay said.

She added: “There are individuals in the community who we believe can assist the investigation. It is very important that they get to the police and tell us what they know. We are not dealing with ordinary individuals. We are dealing with people who are willing to go out there, kill teenagers, tie up a pregnant female and shoot her. The best response is for the police to arrest these individuals very urgently.”