RESIDENTS of the section of Arnett Gardens known as Havana are on edge following the shooting of two men, one fatally, by criminals in the community on Saturday night.

The man killed in the St Andrew Southern community has been identified as 30-year-old Sanjay Allen, while the identity of the injured man is being withheld.

The two were among a group of people playing dominoes on a street corner in the community, shortly after 8:00 pm, when they were pounced on by gunmen who opened fire at them.

On Sunday police/military teams were seen patrolling the community as they sought to assure the residents that they have the situation under control.

Deputy Superintendent Bryan Henry, head of the Kingston Western Police Division, has indicated that his team managed to gather information from various sources in relation to the incident, and expressed confidence that the perpetrators will be arrested.

Henry noted that Havana, and other sections of the division, have been experiencing relative peace since the start of 2025, and said the police are working assiduously to ensure the residents are able to exist in a peaceful society.

When a news team from the Jamaica Observer visited the community on Sunday, residents said the area where the shooting took place would usually be buzzing with life as people would congregate to watch sports on a large-screen television, or played dominoes and other games.

But this time it was watchful residents who peeped from nearby premises as they avoided the crime scene.

“The two of them were playing dominoes and, basically, men run up from down the road and come up here and fire shot. The men came from down the road in masks. Now, we have one man dead and the next one was shot in the leg,” one male resident said.

“Right now, as you see, today is Sunday morning and it is supposed to be busy, but nothing is going on. The place is stagnant and everybody just a gwaan look. It is puzzling, because no war is going on. The other men who were out here were lucky, because they ran when the gunfire started.

“A day like today, the place would be lively. There is a little plaza right down there and you know match — English [Premier] League — would be playing on the television. That’s where we would be watching football,” the resident shared.

Allen’s sister, Talesa Morgan, told the Observer that she and other members of the family are trying to stay strong and take things easy in the aftermath of his death.

“The place is kind of dead and tense. My brother wasn’t a talkative person. He was jovial and caring. If he was alive now he would be watching football on his phone. He loved to watch football, and he used to love playing football as well.

“He had no children. He used to work at a clothes store in downtown Kingston but he stopped working there. He wasn’t working up to the time of his death. We don’t understand where this could be coming from because there’s no war in the place,” Morgan said.

Allen’s mother, Lorna Steers, said she is saddened by the death of her only son.

“I have three girls and he was my only son. I feel bad for him. I was at work. When I came home this morning my brother in-law told me that my son dead. I started to cry. They couldn’t tell me from last night because I was at work and I didn’t have any phone,” said the grieving mother.

An aunt of the young man who was injured told the Observer that he was shot in one of his legs and is in hospital recovering well.

“We really feel bad to know that we are not involved in anything, and we don’t have anybody who is involved in anything, [yet] this [has] happened. One person lost his life. He was close to us. He is a good friend. I don’t really know what caused that last night. I don’t know if it will cause war to break out,” said the aunt.

Sanjay Allen