Central Kingston continues to bleed

After experiencing a bloody 2021, residents of central Kingston were hoping that the new year would bring much-needed peace and calm in their lives. However, that desire was significantly impaired yesterday following a drive-by shooting incident which left one man dead and another injured.

The dead man has been identified as Kemarly 'Foota' Cespedes, while a 31-year-old man was left nursing gunshot wounds.

The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. in Parade Gardens. The police say that both victims were walking along the roadway when a white AD Wagon motor car drove beside them. Occupants of the AD Wagon opened gunfire. Cespedes was hot multiple times in the upper body and the other man was hit in the abdomen. They were assisted to hospital where Cespedes was pronounced dead on arrival.

Cespedes, 29, was reportedly killed minutes after leaving his house to buy food seasoning at a nearby wholesale.

"The last thing him say to me was fi gwane watch di pot on the stove because him a go outa the wholesale go buy seasoning. But after a while mi start a wonder weh him deh, then mi hear somebody come knock on the door. The person ask mi if me no hear wah gwane, say 'Foota' dead," his grieving girlfriend told THE STAR.

Cespedes' death is the first to be recorded in the police division this year. The area has been rocked by a deadly rampage between the Genasyde and Darkside gangs since September, 2020.

A fearful resident said that drastic action is required to quell the blood-letting in central Kingston.

"If dem a guh impose curfew and ZOZO (Zone of Special Operations) and dem supn deh, dem need fi go door-to-door and hunt dung these criminals," the resident said, while appealing to others in the community to desist from shielding criminals.

"Dem know who and who a do the shootings. Dat is one of the big problems as well. Nobody nuh safe again so dem fi always remember that when dem a hide dem gunman friend and man dem," the frustrated resident said.