Teen shot in drive-by

A 16-year-old boy remains in hospital after he was shot and injured in a drive-by along Bond Street in west Kingston on Monday afternoon.

The teenager, who is said to be a 10th grade student, was shot twice in the abdomen as armed thugs sprayed the street with bullets. Another man was also shot in the incident. His condition is not clear.

A relative of the teenager said the youngster was standing along the roadway when he was shot.

"Him just come home from school and stop and a talk to some elders who always cross the road, when him get shot. One a him legs dem not moving. Mi can't tell yuh about him mental state but him just a stare outta space," she said.

Another resident stated that none of the injured persons were involved in any wrongdoing and were shot because they were the available targets.

"This coulda be anybody, enuh, because the little youth a schoolboy who nuh inna nuh war. All if a one baby did a walk dem coulda get shot or dead. Same ting go fi di other person who get shot up. Dis mess up bad, enuh, because a could a more or it coulda worse," he said.

Commanding officer of the Kingston Western Police Division, Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, said the police have identified a suspect in the shooting who goes by the name 'Baba'. He said they are urging him to report to the Denham Town Criminal Investigative Branch.

As a team of soldiers patrolled the area, the man said he is hoping that they will remain on location even until the Christmas season has passed.

"We want back the soldier dem down here man because we really don't want a repeat of what happen yesterday (Monday). During Christmas time di gunman dem love see how much life dem can claim before the year end, so mi just a beg dem to just stay with we. Dem man ya bad still and will 'time pedal' di police dem, but mi a beg dem just stay with we," he said.

During a press conference held yesterday, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said the areas in which states of public emergency (SOEs) were declared in November, 52 murders occurred in the two weeks before they were imposed, 14 during the two weeks of the SOEs, and 20 in the week after they were lifted.