Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness Monday said that the authorities will be using Sunday night’s shooting incident that left eight people dead and several others wounded in Clarendon, south of here, to “deal with the gangs once and for all.
“We cannot allow this incident to be treated merely as another criminal act. It is not merely a criminal act. Organised crime violence is an act of terror and we must treat them as criminal terrorists
“The security forces have been given the directions, Operations are already underway from all levels. Intelligence…from in the field, we are seeking the support of our partners to get those who are overseas, who are facilitating, directing and funding the criminal operations here. No stone will be left unturned.
“I want to give the Jamaican people the reassurance that your government will use this as the opportunity to deal with the gangs once and for all,” Holness told reporters following an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NEC), adding “it is indeed a sad day for all of Jamaica”. Watch videoPolice confirmed that eight people were killed when three gunmen alighted a vehicle and fired indiscriminately upon a group of people who were celebrating the birthday of a 26 year-old man.
Those killed have been identified as 27-year-old cosmetologist, Kavel Daley, 50 year-old construction worker, Lawrence Francis, 20-year-old cashier, Diamond Bennett, and eight-year-old Aiden Bartley, a student of Four Path Primary.
In addition, Errol Stewart, a 58-year-old butcher; Jermaine Boothe alias “Blacks,” Courtney Messam alias “Dummbie,” and a woman identified only as Margaret, were also shot and killed.
Police said that a one and a half month old baby is among those injured and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Fitz Bailey, speaking at the news conference said high-powered rifles and handguns were used in the attack.The authorities have issued a curfew in the area, and Bailey said that the police are following several “significant leads” adding “we will ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice
Bailey had on Sunday night described the incident as one bordering on terrorism, and that the shooting was done to instill fear and intimidate the community.
Holness told reporters that the incident is a “criminal act…it is an act on the public order,” and that it goes beyond the victims.
“It goes beyond the community in which it was perpetrated. It is an attack on every Jamaican. It is an attack on every community. The intention was not only to harm the victims, the intention was not only to spread terror in the local community.
“No this act is designed to spread terror in the nation. This is an act of terror, so it can’t be treated as ordinary criminality,” a visibly shaken Prime Minister Holness said, adding that the NEC meeting had gone beyond the time allocated for its deliberations.
“There are many issues involved, issues we will not go into today, but the nation should be assured that we are examining all dimensions of this terror act.
‘We know that persons overseas are involved and connected in this act. We know that persons who are incarcerated presently have connections in this act. We know that multiple gangs are connected and involved in this act.
“Every gang, every person, who in any way facilitated, provided the arms or were involved and pulled the triggers themselves we will find you and we will bring you to justice. I want that to be absolutely clear, we will not treat this as another criminal act,” Holness said.
