MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Police here are assuring residents that recent shooting incidents do not reflect the wider experience of this south-central parish and are manly driven by interpersonal conflicts among criminals involved in lottery scamming.

“What we are finding as a serious problem on this side of Manchester is lottery scamming… Most of the incidents of murder are a direct derivative from persons who are embroiled in the lottery scamming activities… When we have this we are going to have murders, reprisals, and counter-reprisals,” Superintendent Carey Duncan told residents of Heartease during a walk-through of that community on Monday.

“We know that you are surrounded by other communities that are seeing some negative impact… It is no secret that over in Land Settlement, just a stone’s throw away from here, we are having some issues,” added Duncan, who is head of the Manchester police.

He was speaking against the backdrop of recent shooting incidents, including a double murder, in Land Settlement.

Last Saturday, 21-year-old Damien Edwards, otherwise called Damie, a resident of Melrose Gardens in Manchester; and Yakieni Shaw, 30, otherwise called Yankee, a farmer of Comfort, also in the parish, were gunned down in what police are theorising was a reprisal for the February 8 gun attack on a man in Land Settlement that resulted in the death of his four-year-old daughter Saniyah O’Brien.

According to the police, about 3:50 pm on Saturday, Shaw and Edwards were at a bar when a motor car drove up from which a man alighted, immediately opening fire, and hitting the two men multiple times. They were taken to hospital where Shaw was pronounced dead. Edwards died while being treated.

The area has remained tense since, with police increasing patrols in Land Settlement and surrounding communities.

On Monday, Superintendent Duncan urged residents in neighbouring communities to be cautious and not to harbour criminals.

“We are saying, as a community you need to be vigilant. We are here not because anything is happening in any significant way, but it is important that if it is happening around you, it is quite possible that it can happen in Heartease,” Duncan said.

He told residents that the parish, for the most part, is peaceful as police have identified a handful of communities as being active hot spots.

“Persons may see some things happening in Manchester and may think that Manchester is under pressure where crime and violence is concerned. I am here to tell you that is not so. What we are seeing happening in this parish is concentrated in a particular space and that is the Land Settlement and the New Hall communities at present… On this side, an area that we refer to as the L Belt — from Old England, Comfort, Land Settlement, and New Hall — is where we are seeing some challenges,” said Duncan.

“Manchester is a very big parish, and for the most part we are not seeing any incidents of crime or murders being committed. We know that Heartease is poised right on the border of some of these communities, so we also know that persons from these communities would often traverse through your space when they are going to do their criminal acts. I just want to encourage persons within this space that you are to be vigilant,” Duncan advised.

He joined zone commander for Manchester, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Valdin Amos, and Manchester Central Member of Parliament (MP) Rhoda Crawford in lauding the efforts of Heartease residents to maintain peace which has resulted in no murders or serious crimes committed there in the past five years.

Crawford implored residents to make use of the community outreach and opportunities offered by stakeholders during the walk-through.

Member of Parliament for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford speaking during a walk-through of Heartease on Monday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Police among stakeholders gathered in Heartease, Manchester on Monday following a walk-through of the community. (Photo: Kasey Williams)