Gunmen create mayhem in Spanish Town

Even after a special deployment of more than 30 police personnel in Spanish Town, St Catherine, yesterday, criminals wreaked havoc in the Old Capital in a shooting incident, which left one man dead and four other persons suffering from gunshot wounds.

"We normally have an early deployment, but we put in a special deployment this morning in Spanish Town alone. Over 30 police officers in uniforms were on foot. So, from that point of view, especially today, there was adequate police presence in the town," Commander for the St Catherine North Police Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Anthony Powell, told THE STAR.

But the 'adequate' number of police personnel did not stop armed men from creating mayhem in the town.

"You need to understand that persons will always study the police. You have 30 police personnel, but you still will not be able to cover every inch and every square foot," Powell said.

Chaos for schoolchildren

The cordoned-off area on Burke Road caused chaos for schoolchildren and other users of the town, who found it difficult to find their regular taxi stands.

"How mi get to the bus park," one student was heard asking a man.

Shop operators had to close their doors early also.

"A usually dem time here when people coming from work and school you would get a sale, and but dem say mi haffi close," said a shop operator, who asked for anonymity.

According to Powell, around 1 p.m. yesterday, armed men opened fire in the Spanish Town bus park within the vicinity of the arcade.

"Based on the blood trail, it seems as if most of the activities happened in and around the arcade," Powell told THE STAR. "We are still uncertain as to how many persons carried out this incident, but what I can say is that five persons were injured."

He added that one of the men died while undergoing treatment at hospital.

But incidents of this nature are not uncommon for the shop operator, whose colleague was shot in the leg during the shooting.

"A 20 years mi a sell here, and sometimes when things start mi haffi just jump inna mi vehicle and drive home. Mi see it nuff time," the shop operator said.