Murders rock Rum Lane

Two days after Prime Minister Andrew Holness publicly denounced the violence plaguing Central Kingston and threatened a State of Public Emergency, if so advised, five people were shot, two fatally yesterday on Rum Lane.

The dead men have since been identified as 24-year-old Ian ‘Tikki’ Reid and chef, 28-year-old Oshae Watson.

The killings took place about 1:30 p.m.

Watson’s relative who drove to the scene of the shooting told The Gleaner that he was killed innocently as he did not reside in the community or was involved in wrongdoings.

“Him don’t live around here. Him come check somebody and deh deh with them. Gunman just come and shoot up the place and him get shot up. Pure innocent get shot,” the relative told The Gleaner.

Reid’s mother was at the scene and, though she was saddened, said she would not shed a tear.

“Mi nah cry, mi nah shed a tear. Him dead already and mi nah cry”, she shouted while being consoled by friends.

Central Kingston has seen intense bloodshed dating back to the last general election on September 3, where former national footballer Teddy Johnson was shot and injured in the space.

On Tuesday, gunmen set fire to a tenement yard on Beeston Street and shot one man in the process, which resulted in more than 30 residents being displaced.

The prime minister, while at the official opening of the Olympic Gardens police station on Wednesday, said, “No criminal must feel that they have the power to burn down people house, it must never happen and I have said to the commissioner, no stone must be left unturned to find those who have done it. I am prepared if advised to call a state of public emergency in Central Kingston to treat with those criminals ... .”

Curfew measures were imposed in sections of Central Kingston before Tuesday’s arson and shooting attack.

PNP caretaker for the constituency Imani Duncan-Pryce has since renewed her call for a ZOSO to be implemented in communities in Central Kingston as the crime and violence continued.

Duncan-Pryce had publicly welcomed the recent announcement of curfews in Southside and Tel Aviv.

She noted, however, that a ZOSO is still needed to meaningfully reduce violent crimes.

Friday’s double murder is the latest bloodshed in the troubled Central Kingston police division which has recorded 37 murders up to July 1.

Murders in the division were on a 48 per cent increase year to date.

The division recorded only 25 murders for the corresponding period in 2020.

Investigations into yesterday’s double murder and shooting are ongoing.