PM condemns yet another mass shooting

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has described as disturbing yet another mass shooting in Jamaica, stating that the incident may be gang-related.

Holness along with Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang and Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake today visited the Waltham Park Road area in St Andrew following last night's gun attack that left five men dead, who are yet to be identified.

That incident came after another reported fatal shooting which occurred nearby.

The first killing occurred about 7:30 p.m. followed by another reported shooting about 7:45 p.m.

Residents said in both incidents, the gunmen were of foot and escaped into the area.

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Holness expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, while highlighting that the government and the security forces have been working hard to combat crime, particularly eradicating gangs.

“We have moved from over 300 documented gangs to now just under 180 and we continue to decrease and eradicate them. So we take careful note of the change in the nature of homicides in Jamaica and though it is not yet the majority of homicides where the homicides are committed in the what we are describing as 'multiple victim violent incidents' rather than the term 'mass murder' which we are seeing generally used which connotes a different kind of activity,” Holness said.

“These murders are being committed essentially by gangs. Whilst the police have not definitively concluded in this specific instance that it is a gang-related matter from what we are seeing so far it is highly likely that it is a gang-related matter. The challenge of course is that the communities that are involved may not necessarily identify the players are being involved in gang because, by and large, the community members would not be necessarily aware of the intricacy and details as to how these gangs operate,” Holness said.

He spoke out about gangs' access to weapons.

“They acquire them, they stockpile them, they distribute them, they exercise control over them and they use them to exercise control over territory, they use them to conduct illegal activity such as extortion, trafficking and other forms of illegal activities and ultimately they use them to inflict harm, violence and ultimately death in the pursuit of their gang activities, whether it is reprisals, whether it is robbery, whether it is extortion, whether it is protection, they use arm violence to exercise control and influence over geographical areas and they use them ultimately to spread fear,” Holness said.

For his part, Chang sought to assure the public that the security ministry will do everything required to support the police in their efforts to apprehend criminals who engage in mass shootings.

“We are concerned and will be looking at the entire criminal justice system to see how we can deal with these types of characters… The criminal justice system and the legislative framework [to amend] to deal with this kind of criminal terrorism emerging,” Chang said.

The security minister added that the police will take every step necessary not only to apprehend gangsters but also undertake to prevent the formation of gangs.

His sentiment was echoed by the police commissioner.

“This is another of the unprecedented multiple victims violence incidents we have seen across the country in recent times. I would like to just assure the public that we have been quite relentless. These types of incidents require a different and strident response and it has been receiving that type of response so far.”

Blake said the police will be working assiduously in pursuing the individual behind Monday's murders in the area.

“These are innocent citizens playing a game of domino which everyone should be able to do and we the JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] commits that our way of life will continue and will not be disrupted by these individuals.”

- Andre Williams