WATCH: Clarendon gun attack which left 8 dead was ‘an act of terrorism’ says Cousins
CLARENDON, Jamaica— Member of Parliament for Clarendon South Western Lothan Cousins has described Sunday night’s brutal gun attack on Cherry Tree Lane as an act of terrorism.
The incident left eight people, including a seven-year-old boy, boy and nine people injured.
“Last night residents of this community were randomly attacked in an act of terrorism because this can only be described as a terrorist-like activity. I don’t think there is any other way to describe it,” Cousins said.
He said that he believes that a shooting of this magnitude had not occurred in Clarendon and the wider Jamaica in a very long time and that the families of those affected by the shooting are now in need of support.
“I don’t think we have had any shooting of this scale and magnitude in and around the parish of Clarendon or Jamaica as a whole in a very long time and we must stand in solidarity with the families and those who have also been affected in an adverse way; those who are in the hospital, those receiving treatment,” the MP added.
Cousins stated that it is a dark day for the constituency, while issuing a warning that if the right measures to fight crime are not in place early, then there will be more incidents like these.
“What I can tell you it’s a very dark day for the constituency as a whole and for the wider Jamaica. And it just goes to show that at the end of the day no matter how much we try in this fight against crime if we don’t put the right measures in place from early we will continue to have incidents like these,” he said.
It is reported that the gunmen carried out two attacks in Cherry Tree Lane on Sunday.
In the first attack residents were gathered at a car wash in the community around 8:45pm for a birthday celebration, when a white Toyota Axio motor car drove up and three men armed with guns alighted from the vehicle. The men opened gunfire at the group of people, who ran in different directions.
When the shooting subsided it was discovered that four people died on the spot, and three others were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Police reported that the armed men drove from the car wash in the direction of the May Pen bypass, and on reaching a section of the roadway, while still in the Cherry Tree Lane community, stopped at another gathering. Two men reportedly exited the vehicle with hand guns, and opened fire at the group before escaping. One person was shot and killed.
