MANCHESTER, Jamaica – There is now a strong security presence in the community of Greenvale in Manchester where the two men who were killed at a party in August are being buried.
Mourners turned up at the Greenvale community centre under the watchful eyes of the security forces for the service on Friday. A senior police source told OBSERVER ONLINE that police and soldiers are on operation as it is possible that those responsible for the August 5 killing of 35-year-old Adrian Nation, otherwise called Blue, and his uncle 68-year-old Leslie Levy, otherwise called Lloyd/ Rasta man, are in the community where the funeral service for the men is being held.
Councillor McArthur Collins (People’s National Party, New Green Division), who is among those attending the funeral, said he is hopeful that peace will be restored to the troubled community.
“It is rough and sad… Greenvale is mostly a quiet place as most people [here] are family, so it is shocking. I can’t come to [terms] with it up to now. The two men born and grow [up] here… We just have to rise above it,” Collins said.
He added that over the years efforts were made to restore peace and calm in the now crime-stricken community.
“It kind of came back… there are mostly youths in the area now and everybody is family, so I don’t know how this can happen," he said. "It is sad, but we have to just build the vibes and work with the people and see if we can forget all these things."
Police placed restrictions on entertainment events and a curfew in the community following the August 5 double murder in an effort to avert reprisals. Two people were also shot and injured in the incident. Police theorise that Nation was the target of the gun attack.
Grieving residents, some of whom displayed their anger at the funeral, warned of reprisals. Nation and Levy will be interned at the Oaklawn Memorial Gardens in Dunsinane (neighbouring Greenvale).
In recent weeks political, religious and security leaders, have invested in revamping social intervention programmes in Greenvale.
– Kasey Williams
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