A FRESH wave of violence and gang feuds have claimed at least two lives and seen five people shot and injured over the past two weeks in Allman Town, Wildman Street, Southside and Mark Lane areas of Central Kingston.
A 20-year-old man was also shot by police.
The police report there have been 50 gang-related cases of shootings since January, for which 12 arrests have been made. They have also reported 13 arrests from the 33 murders reported in the Central Kingston area.
The five people were shot and injured in separate confrontations between gunmen on Wildman Street on Monday.
A teenager was shot along Wildman Street and, apparently in reprisal, three people including an elderly woman were shot and seriously injured later on Monday night. One of the victims was shot seven times.
Sources said minutes after the shooting of the three people, the gunmen became embroiled in an argument over a gun. An "outsider" was shot, chased away and his gun taken.
On July 21, two men, Sean Whitehouse of an Orange Street address and Michael Samuels of a Mark Lane address, were executed by gunmen following a gang feud between factions from the Fletchers Land and Orange Street areas.
On Monday, Ricardo Watson, 19, was shot and killed by the police in what they said was a shoot-out after they moved into Allman Town to quell a simmering gang feud between men from John and Wild Streets.
According to the police, a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver was taken from Watson's body. They said the gun had been stolen from a security guard in Sevwright Close, St. Andrew, on March 11, 1998. Residents from the area have disputed the story, saying Watson was shot by the police without cause.
Head of the Kingston Central Division, Deputy Superintendent George Quallo said operational plans were in place and the trouble zones were being monitored by the police.
Meanwhile, the Allman Town police have detained three suspects in connection with the shootings.
