Fear grips John’s Hall
St James community on edge after shooting spree
JOHN’S HALL, St James — WITH seven residents left nursing gunshot wounds after gunmen went on a shooting spree in the Dam Road section of this community on Sunday, the atmosphere remains tense.
This was evident when the Jamaica Observer West news team visited the community earlier this week. A mother was overheard expressing concerns for the
safety of her two children who she claimed she would be sending to the United States of America within days.
“I am going to send my two children to America later this week. Can’t afford feh nothing happen to them,” she said during a telephone conversation.
Another resident refused to give the Observer West an interview, citing fear for her life.
“A me you want them come kill? The man dem family deh same place here listening out and ready to take back our names to the badman dem. Me have mi children to live for,” she told our news team.
Other community members, who were milling around the area where Sunday night’s shooting took place as members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force gathered forensic evidence, spoke in hushed tones.
The police reported that about 2:40 pm Sunday, a motor car with four men aboard drove up to a car wash in the Dam Road section of John’s Hall and the occupants fired gunshots on a group of people at the facility, hitting four of them.
But before they could escape, they were engaged in a gunfight with an off-duty policeman who challenged them. In their bid to escape, the gunmen reportedly sped off, but shortly after the motor car they were travelling in collided with another vehicle.
The gunmen then reportedly opened fire on the occupants of that motor vehicle, hitting three people. They, along with the four shot at the car wash, were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital for treatment.
Residents of the community reflected on the January 3, 2021 shooting death of 24-year-old security guard Kenroy “Ken” Sinclair, 44-year-old farmer Dean Reid, both of Dam Road, who were shot and killed next door to the same car wash. Both were part of a group playing dominoes when tragedy struck. Three other men were also shot and injured in that attack.
Yesterday, Security Minister Dr Horace Chang told the Observer West that there has been a deep-rooted conflict between two warring factions in John’s Hall for over a year now.
“There is a long-standing conflict which we are aware of and we have made significant headway in identifying the people who are involved and will take steps to prosecuting,” Dr Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister, revealed.
“It is one of those senseless conflicts...it is not a fight over turf or anything. Apparently, there are two strong individuals or strong families. The Dam Road group and the other group end up in conflict and it has been ongoing if you look at the reports over the years. It is just that the particular event over last week was eye-catching, seven people were shot, fortunately none of them died in the group. “
He disclosed that a number of the hoodlums are involved in the lotto scamming.
“This has been ongoing for the last…i would say a year, and I had asked the police to pay some attention because it involves a number of people who are allegedly involved in advanced security fraud, lotto scamming and that’s where the source of the activity is from,” the security minister noted.