Gunmen kill two at fundraising party

Residents of Spring Gardens, Westmoreland, have expressed shock at Sunday's frightening shooting incident which left a common-law-couple dead, and six other persons nursing gunshot wounds, after gunmen invaded a fundraising event to assist a cancer patient.

The deceased have been identified as Marshall 'Cheese Chips' Gayle, 31, of Spring Gardens, and his 23-year-old girlfriend, Sherece 'Shyan' Murray, of Little Bay, in Sheffield, Westmoreland. Reports are that at 9 p.m., a group of armed men travelled to the area and opened fire hitting the eight persons. The police were summoned and upon their arrival, the victims were rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, where Murray and Gayle were pronounced dead, and the others treated and admitted in serious but stable condition.

When THE STAR visited the community yesterday, it was evident that persons ran all over the venue as there were dozens of slippers, plastic cups and utensils still lying around. Gayle's brother, Delroy, said that they are still in shock.

"Me a 60-odd, suh yu must know that a wul heap a years mi deh yah suh a look out fi them," Delroy said. "A me a did the chef, an all of us as family and friends deh yah a bounce round an a assist Marshall wid him ting. But him really did a keep it fi help wi little brother Anthony, who is a cancer patient."

"Things did a gwan nice till di man dem come shoot up the place. It was about six a dem, dem shoot Marshal all over him body, an den shoot 'Shyan', an den dem tek weh all the money what dem did mek," he said. "Meanwhile, some a dem a rob, di other one dem a shoot all over the place."

One police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered a theory for the attack.

"The police are trying very hard to have promoters cease from hosting events of this nature, because we have strong reason to believe that there is a particular group of men who are targeting these events in order to carry out brazen robberies," the cop stated.